LONDON,
April 11, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Seeking to
keep vivid the images of British soldiers coming home from Iraq in
coffins, the father of a British soldier killed in the occupied Arab
country decided to stand against Prime Minister as an independent
candidate to make sure that premier does not forget it.
“I
want to hold Tony Blair to account for his deceit over the war in
Iraq,” Reg Keys told Reuters Monday, April 11, as he began
campaigning.
“My
son Tom believed what he was told, but Blair lied to him, and to all
those other soldiers who came home in coffins after fighting in a war
that was illegal and immoral.”
Keys
has a virtually impossible task to topple Blair. But his mere presence
is a grim reminder to Blair of the inescapable Iraq factor haunting
him ahead of the May 5 poll.
At
least 87 British troops have been killed since the start of the US-led
occupation of Iraq on April 9, 2003.
Last
month, British Members of Parliament called for a formal inquiry into
why Blair and Attorney General Lord Golsmith concealed a full legal
opinion before Britain joined the United States in its “illegal”
war on Iraq.
The
latest report by top US weapons inspector in Iraq, Charles Duelfer,
concluded that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction, raising
concerns the invasion of the oil-rich country was based on false
pretexts.
“Tragic
Flow”
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A
file photo of an anti-Blair rally in London.
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The
UK leader’s decision to support the US-led invasion of Iraq has
become the defining theme of his eight-year rule or more literarily
Blair’s “tragic flow.”
Now
on the campaign trail, Blair still cannot escape Iraq.
From
Keys on his doorstep in Sedgefield, to endless questions at public
appearances, Iraq rears its head at every turn despite Blair’s best
efforts to swing attention to domestic issues like the economy and
public services.
The
issue has also been the backdrop of all the iconic lows for Blair this
term -- a humiliating slow handclap by a female audience at a TV
appearance; ministerial resignations and
the
suicide of a
UK weapons inspector embroiled in the intelligence row.
Domestic
opposition was already high when Britain went to war. The lack of
postwar peace for Iraq plus, more importantly, accusations London
hyped intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s alleged arms program to
justify the invasion, intensified criticism and has sent Blair’s
trust ratings tumbling.
“It
is the sense of betrayal that is the root of the anger ... Until the
government comes to grips with that, they will never stem the molten
lava of anger that flows from the volcano of Iraq,” The
Independent newspaper columnist Adrian Hamilton told Reuters.
“Without
Iraq, Labour would be higher in polls and on for an easy win,” added
pollster Peter Kellner.
“Because
of it, the race is tighter and they may have a greatly reduced
majority.”
Blair’s
party in July suffered a stinging by-election defeat by the anti
anti-war party and narrowly avoided losing another once-safe
parliamentary seat.
Polls
show a tighter-than-expected battle, with Labour just a few percentage
points ahead.
So
if people are so upset over Iraq, why won’t Blair lose?
