Tony Blair on Iraq War

Tony Blair firmly defended his decision to support the United States-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, arguing that removing Saddam Hussein was necessary because the regime posed a threat to the region and the world, even after the failure to find Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). He stated in his testimony that he believed the world was safer as a result of the invasion and that he would have supported regime change regardless of the WMD intelligence. Documents later suggested he was concerned with ensuring UK actions would avoid international prosecution, pressing for military justice over civil courts for soldiers accused of abuse.

His stance has remained consistent, despite widespread domestic opposition and the damning assessment in the 2016 Chilcot Inquiry report, which criticized his handling of the case for war and relationship with the US. While he expressed sorrow for the losses and admitted to mistakes in planning and process, he has refused to apologize for the core decision to take military action, often framing it as a necessary, good-faith choice based on the information and security challenges following the 9/11 attacks.