UK Foreign Secy: "We would still have invaded Iraq with Gordon Brown in command"
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UK Foreign Secy: "We would still have invaded Iraq with Gordon Brown in command"
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The Independent - Nov 14, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article3157790.ece
Miliband: We would still have invaded Iraq with Gordon Brown in command
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Gordon Brown's doctrine of "hard-headed internationalism" would have
made no difference to Britain's decision to go to war with the US in
Iraq, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband admitted yesterday.
The Prime Minister's strategy for foreign affairs, outlined in his
speech at the Lord Mayor of London's Banquet on Monday, was seen as an
attempt to draw a line under the Blair years, when Tony Blair was
accused of being too close to the foreign policy aims of the US
President George Bush.
However, Mr Miliband said the Brown strategy would not have stopped
Britain going to war. Asked on BBC Radio whether the same decision
would have been made under Mr Brown's doctrine, Mr Miliband replied:
"In respect of the decision to invade Iraq, absolutely right." He
conceded that decisions taken since the war "could have been done
better" but insisted: "No one is resiling from the original decision."
Mr Miliband's remarks will disappoint Labour MPs who opposed the war and
believed that the transfer of power to Mr Brown would herald a foreign
policy shift that would rule out pre-emptive intervention in future
without the backing of the United Nations.
Later, Mr Miliband also warned that Mr Brown could lose the next general
election unless the Government was seen to be effective and competent.
That was seen as a signal to No 10 that it has to "raise its game"
following blunders over the timing of the general election, the retreat
over capital gains tax, the Northern Rock fiasco and the row over the
leaked Home Office memorandum on illegal immigrants. "The next election
is Labour's to lose and not the Tories to win," Mr Miliband said,
adding that it would be the Government's decisions that would reveal
its competence, and its vision in office. "I believe if we are both a
competent and effective Government, we will be in a very strong
position in the next general election," he said.
Mr Miliband was seen by some MPs as a natural heir to Mr Blair and
touted as a possible leadership candidate until he made it clear he
would not run against Mr Brown. His warning echoes the view held by
many Labour backbenchers that they have to keep their nerve but improve
the Government's performance.
The Foreign Secretary said the Government had to show it had "learnt the
lessons" of being in power for a decade, adding: "I believe the way in
which we will get credit for Labour's record is by showing we have
learnt the lessons of what did not go so well."
Mr Miliband will shortly visit the Middle East as part of a drive to
reach a lasting peace settlement over the Palestinian question.
*
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