Memories of Iraq: did we ever support the war?

Too many British people it now feels unimaginable that we ever supported the Iraq war – but most people did

Opposing the Iraq war has been called Charles Kennedy's finest hour, and in the end the public were on his side. For many people, Iraq is all they can remember about the Labour government of 1997-2010. It has tainted Tony Blair's legacy, and in the run up to the 2015 general election it made Labour cautious of defending its record.

Though it has been controversial for over a decade, the invasion was actually popular at the time. In 2003, YouGov conducted 21 polls from March to December asking British people whether they thought the decision by the US and the UK to go to war was right or wrong, and on average 54% said it was right.

But more than 10 years of opposition is a long time, and many people now remember things differently. Now only 37% of the public say they believed military action against Saddam Hussein was right at the time, instead of the 54% recorded at the time.

The two groups do not completely overlap – respondents younger than 30 today would have been under 18 in 2003 and so were not surveyed by YouGov at the time, and another segment of the population will have passed away since then. However, in the 2015 survey young people do not fall clearly on either side of the debate, and the age groups who were represented in 2003 now all tend to say the war was wrong.



Recent research by YouGov America reveals an even more dramatic effect in the US. 63% favoured sending ground troops into Iraq according to a February 2003 Gallup poll, however in 2015 only 38% recall supporting the military operation.

Public opinion and Iraq

During the Hutton Inquiry into the mysterious death in July 2003 of former UN weapons inspector David Kelly, British people became divided about the war. The capture of Saddam Hussein in December temporarily boosted support, but began falling again – never to recover – after the Butler Review concluded in July 2004 that the intelligence used to justify the war had been unreliable.



https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/06/03/remembering-iraq/


Two years old, but very relevant when people try to use polls in support of foreign action.   Hindsight is a wonderful thing, thankfully some of us got it right the first time.

Restraint and a calm measured approach is what is required.
Nothing spontaneous, ill thought out or aggressive.
Russia are a sleeping giant who has just awoken.
Now is not the time to aggravate Putin, and Corbyn knows this.
A war, even a few skirmishes, will not end well for Britain.
A full blown nuclear campaign is unthinkable.
At least most of the cabinet will survive in their war bunker.
But they wont have a nation or a people to govern.

This is not about going to war with Russia

Its about whether the people believe are intelligent service MI5, who protect our lives daily and thwart countless terrorist attacks.

Lets remember the Iraq war was more about a Labour leader kissing the arse of a US President. Where even MI5 warned against such an invasion of Iraq, but then apologists for Putin. Will stop at nothing to defend a human rights abusers. Who we already know has assassinated countless of his opponents

What is worse here from you Stassi, is I doubt you even believe half the crap you are posting from your Far left blog sites. This is more about you kissing the arse and worship of Corbyn. Which says you place him, before you place the security of this country.

I knew in the end people would start to see what a danger he is to the security of this country. You can always rely on idiots like Corbyn to shoot themselves in the foot

It has little to do with  labour or conservative.
All about being totally, 100% spot on with the information before acting.
Not probably, but absolute stone wall certainty.
Corbyn is looking pretty statesmanslike with what he has been saying today..

"
13:09
Corbyn: Halt ‘Russian crony capitalism’

During the Labour conference in Newcastle, Jeremy Corbyn has called the nerve agent attack on the streets of Britain “barbaric and beyond reckless”.

Agreeing with Theresa May’s identification of the chemical as being "of Russian origin", he said it was “either a crime authored by the Russian state or that state has allowed these deadly toxins to slip out of control…”

He went on to say “Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of the evidence and our response must be both decisive and proportionate”.

Later in his speech he drew attention to the need for Britain to “stop serving Russian crony capitalism”.

Met with load cheers, Mr Corbyn went on: “I will not step back from demanding that Russian money be excluded from our political system.”


Difficult to argue about that stance.

But Didge will.

And Andy proves my point.

Neither he or sassy care about the security of this country.

They only care about kissing the arse of an incompetant idiot, that would place the security of this country at risk

You can easy argue against the Far left socialism of Corbyn.

He is a great supporter of Socialist Venezuela

That in itself proves what a danger to this country Corbyn is and thankfully people are waking up to the idiot

You can continue to line up wishing to kiss his butt Andy, but statesmanlike?

You are losing the plot Didge.
Corbyn AGREES WITH MAY , you fucking moron. The clue is in what he said this morning. Read what he said in my post.
Your OCD and pure loathing of an elected leader of a political  party is causing you to go a bit wobbly.
Go and watch the rugby.
I am.
Its better than arguing with you.
Because with you arguing is an obsession.

Angry Andy wrote:You are losing the plot Didge.
Corbyn AGREES WITH MAY , you fucking moron. The clue is in what he said this morning. Read what he said in my post.
Your OCD and pure loathing of an elected leader of a political  party is causing you to go a bit wobbly.
Go and watch the rugby.
I am.
Its better than arguing with you.
Because with you arguing is an obsession.

Listen you pathetic little weasel all tough behind your PC

Corbyn did a Volte face, and only now agrees, because he was torn apart for his apologism for Putin

Yet again with the claims about mental health

Lets hope somebody gives you a good slap at the Rugby, as its no more than you deserve

Not that I have OCD Andy, but maybe you should start to understand the following

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentalism_(discrimination)