CND has reiterated its full support for the families of British soldiers killed in Iraq, as they today announce they are threatening to take legal action against Sir John Chilcot, who is leading the inquiry into the conflict.
CND’s General Secretary Kate Hudson said:
‘It is no wonder that the families who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Iraq War are frustrated and angry by the delays to the inquiry. The Chilcot Inquiry has been years in the making and the foot-dragging must stop.
‘Most people want this inquiry to identify culpability for war crimes and to lay bare the process by which the UK ended up in a catastrophic and bloody war of aggression. CND still believes that former Prime Minister Tony Blair should stand trial for his actions. The hundreds of thousands killed in an illegal invasion, and the continuing bloodshed, is what Blair will be remembered for. He must not be allowed to avoid responsibility for the sorrow and devastation caused by his war lies.’
In 2003 CND worked with leading international law experts and the group Peacerights to submit a report to the International Criminal Court recommending that Blair and other senior ministers responsible should be investigated for war crimes in Iraq. The Attorney General was also asked to investigate, but rejected the proposal. CND believes the evidence already submitted for the Iraq Inquiry has strengthened the case for such a case to proceed and will be considering further legal avenues once the full report is published.
Kate Hudson added:
‘I hope today’s statement by the soldiers’ families will go some way to force progress in the publication of the report. In the long term, politicians should learn that wars are never the answer to complex regional and national problems.