Tony Blair’s 3/18/03 Speech To The House Of Commons On The Eve Of War With Iraq

by John Hawkins | March 19, 2003 12:27 am

Tony Blair’s 3/18/03 Speech To The House Of Commons On The Eve Of War With Iraq:[1] Tony Blair’s speech yesterday was so magnificent and compelling that I thought it deserved to make it into RWN’s speech archives. Here are a few quotes from the speech…

— “What would any tyrannical regime possessing WMD think viewing the history of the world’s diplomatic dance with Saddam? That our capacity to pass firm resolutions is only matched by our feebleness in implementing them. That is why this indulgence has to stop. Because it is dangerous. It is dangerous if such regimes disbelieve us.”

— “Listen to this editorial – from a paper I’m pleased to say with a different position today – but written in late 1938 after Munich when by now, you would have thought the world was tumultuous in its desire to act.

“Be glad in your hearts. Give thanks to your God. People of Britain, your children are safe. Your husbands and your sons will not march to war. Peace is a victory for all mankind. And now let us go back to our own affairs. We have had enough of those menaces, conjured up from the continent to confuse us.”

— “We take our freedom for granted. But imagine not to be able to speak or discuss or debate or even question the society you live in. To see friends and family taken away and never daring to complain. To suffer the humility of failing courage in face of pitiless terror. That is how the Iraqi people live. Leave Saddam in place and that is how they will continue to live.”

It’s worth your time to read the entire speech…