Sunday Mirror: Cook: war on Iraq is wrong; British forces should withdraw
Iraq-UK, Politics, 3/31/2003

The British former foreign office secretary Robin Cook has described the war launched by the US against Iraq as bloody and ruthless, calling for the withdrawal of the British forces from this war.

Cook who resigned from the British government in protest of the war told the British daily Sunday Mirror yesterday that this war will be conducive to provoke a long-term hatred against the West because of the sufferings of the Iraqi people from the consequences of the war.

Cook also criticized the US President George Bush for launching the war against Iraq without the consent of the international community, noting that the strategy pursued by Bush in this war will fail.

Cook also said in an article in the paper: "It is OK for Bush to say the war will go on for as long as it takes. He is sitting pretty in the comfort of Camp David protected by scores of security men to keep him safe. It is easy to show you are resolute when you are not one of the poor guys stuck in a sandstorm peering around for snipers. This week British forces have shown bravery under attack and determination in atrocious weather conditions. They are too disciplined to say it, but they must have asked each other how British forces ended up exposed by the mistakes of US politicians.

Cook said: We were told the Iraqi army would be so joyful to be attacked that it would not fight. A close colleague of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld predicted the march to Baghdad would be "a cakewalk". We were told Saddam's troops would surrender. A few days before the war Vice-President Dick Cheney predicted that the Republican Guard would lay down their weapons. We were told that the local population would welcome their invaders as liberators. Paul Wolfowitz, No.2 at the Pentagon, promised that our tanks would be greeted "with an explosion of joy and relief". Personally I would like to volunteer Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz to be "embedded" alongside the journalists with the forward units."

Cook warned against the consequences of besieging the Iraqi cities because of the risks inflicted on the lives of people due to the cut of waters and energy resources and the great effect on the life of children.

Cook's resignation from Blair's government as a minister for the government's affairs at the House of Commons was one of the strongest political blows against Blair, who faced a rebellion inside the lines of his ruling party ( the labor party) during the parliament's voting to join the war.

Previous Stories:
  Galloway and the British, American war   (3/27/2003)
  UK proposes 17 March deadline for Iraq to comply with UN disarmament demands   (3/8/2003)
  Al-Shara reviews issues on Iraq with Straw   (3/4/2003)

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