Blair's Iraq Note: A New Look at the War

0:00On March 5th, a new Channel 4 documentary revisits Tony Blair's commitment to the Iraq War, where he stands by a note sent to President George W. Bush in July 2002. Eight months before the invasion, Blair wrote that he would be with Bush, whatever happened, after a meeting at Bush's Texas Ranch. This comes as Prime Minister Kier's Starmer warns of Iraq's lessons following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Blair explains in the film that the note aimed to rally global support and push for a United Nations process to deal with Saddam Hussein. He believed removing the regime was right, given its history with weapons of mass destruction, and stresses it was not a blank check, but a way to. Influence U.S. decisions. Critics pushback hard. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called the note Blair's worst moment, warning it gave America a blank check and reduced UK leverage. Insiders like Blair's Cabinet Secretary noted his strong loyalty to the U.S. while others highlight personal factors influencing Bush.

1:03The program also covers the intelligence dossier on Iraq's weapons, with Blair's team helping shape it based on MI6 reports. The Chilcot inquiry later found the war case overstated certainty and undermined the UN before peaceful options ran out. Debate heats up again with Middle East tensions, reminding us of the 179 British troops and around 4,500 U.S. Service members who died between 2003 and 2009. The Tony Blair story streams now on Channel 4.