Bello: Blair Government Was Aware of All

Walden Bello, leader of the “Focus on Global South” who gave a speech during the session on "The Responsibility of Governments" at the World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), focused on the crimes committed by the United Kingdom. "The Blair government was aware of all," said Bello a professor of sociology and public administration,.

The British government, contrary to the wishes of the people, supported the war and used the issue of weapons of mass destruction as a justification, added Bello.

In addition to its role in planning the war, the British government also violated human rights, he said. He presented the court the following information as evidence:

Britain is involved im murders

"Britain has sent some 65,000 troops. The main assignment for the British troops was to secure the city of Basra. There, British forces used 70 air-launched and 2100 ground launched cluster munitions, which totaled 13,000. Amnesty International reports that as of early March 2004, UK forces had been involved in the killing of 37 civilians."

British troops were also involved in torture and these incidents have been documented, according to Bello. British troops violated international law once again by exploiting civilians and deliberately committing murders, he said.

"Aside from the United States, it is the government of the United Kingdom that clearly must bear the burden of guilt. Prime Minister Anthony Blair must be given top priority for prosecution, alongside President George Bush."

An act as base as the Nazi invasion

Bello, who is the director of Focus on the Global South in Bangkok, a project of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, is also the chairman of the board of Greenpeace in Southeast Asia. He published a number of books on international finance institutions and alternative security.

Bello expressed that the invasion of Iraq is an act that must rank as base in terms of ignominy and infamy as the Nazi invasion. "Those who supported the Iraq invasion are not different from Nazi cooperators," said Bello. "The Blair government's role cannot be reduced to that of being a reluctant partner of the Bush administration. The Blair government actively participated in the preparations and conduct of the war." (CM/TK)