EEL-LIKE BLAIR TO AVOID PRISON OVER IRAQ WAR: LONDON MAYOR

London, 9 Rajab 1435/8 May 2014 (MINA) – The London Mayor Boris Johnson said Former British prime minister Tony Blair is too ‘eel-like’ to ever be convicted over his role in the Iraq war.

The mayor of London expressed sympathy with those who want to see Blair in prison over the Iraq war.

Johnson said, however, that the former prime minister is a “very, very adept and agile lawyer” who would use his legal skills to avoid prosecution, Press TV quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting Thursday.

“There will undoubtedly be people who continue to try to bring Tony Blair to justice in one way or another. I think it unlikely they will succeed … . In the case of Tony Blair it will be quite difficult to secure a conviction. He is a very eel-like customer. It would be very unlikely you would get him,” he said.

Johnson also called for the immediate publication of the Chilcot inquiry, which is expected to be released later this year, because it has been more than 10 years since the “whole disaster” began.

The long-awaited Chilcot report, led by John Chilcot, into Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war will publish notes from Blair to Bush, records of telephone conversations and meetings, as well as up to 200 minutes of cabinet-level discussions in the new year.

“I am afraid I listened to the government and thought that must be right – the Pentagon, HMG – they must have thought this thing through. They must have a plan.That was a total, total error. It was quite clear that the agenda was very, very feebly thought through and it was a disaster,” Johnson concluded.

The US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant violation of international law in 2003 under the pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) allegedly stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. No WMDs, however, were ever discovered in Iraq. (T/P04/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)