Posted on 09/17/2005 6:13:38 PM PDT by blam
Tony Blair 'relished' sending British soldiers off to war
By Melissa Kite, Deputy Political Editor
(Filed: 18/09/2005)
Tony Blair "relished" sending troops to war, according to claims by a former Downing Street aide which the Government tried to suppress.
The Prime Minister also railed at "the f***ing Welsh" and made policies minutes before going on television, Lance Price says in his book The Spin Doctor's Diary.
Mr Blair prior to sending troops to Iraq in 1998
Mr Price, a former deputy head of Downing Street communications, claims that Mr Blair promised Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul, that the Government would not change its policy on Europe without telling him first.
The Government forced Mr Price to remove sections of the diary before publication. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell accused the former BBC journalist of "betrayal".
But the full version is revealed in the Mail on Sunday, which publishes extracts today. Perhaps the most damning is an entry from Christmas 1998 after Mr Blair sent British forces into Iraq.
Mr Price wrote: "I couldn't help feeling TB was relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action. Despite all the necessary stuff about taking action 'with a heavy heart', I think he feels it is part of his coming of age as a leader."
The censored account reads: "I couldn't help feeling TB had mixed emotions about sending the boys into action."
In another censored section, Mr Price claims that the Government consulted Mr Murdoch on its policy on the single currency. "Apparently we've promised News International we won't make any changes to our Europe policy without talking to them." This was changed to: "Apparently News International were under the impression we won't make any changes without asking them."
Officials also tried to suppress a claim that Mr Blair repeatedly insulted the Welsh. The Prime Minister is said to have erupted in fury when it appeared that Labour could lose the first elections to the Welsh Assembly in 1999. Mr Price wrote: "F***ing Welsh repeated many times by TB."
The doctored version reads: "TB f-ing and blinding about the whole thing."
and not even good wrap for fish and chips.
I do not claim to know the character of the Welsh, but I am a big fan if Rick Rescorla.
...and Katherine Zeta Jones ......phurrrrrrr!
English And Welsh Are Races Apart
whoa...........effin somone other than the Irish ?
I am a humble member of that thread already, but thanks for reminding me. That is one of the better threads on JimRob's gift to humanity.
As he should have. I relished the idea of toppling Saddam since 1991!
Stupid story doesn't even claim Blair relished going to war. The guy writes "I couldn't help but think" that Blair relished it, and the censored version just said Blair had "mixed feelings." How does any of that equal Blair enjoying sending soldiers to war?
It doesn't. The MSM in Britain is arguably worse than ours here. At least here, we have Rush & Fox & the WSJ to counterattack. The Brits' "conservative" media is nearly as pathetic as the BBC.
This is total Barbara Streisand
according to CLAIMS by a FORMER Downing Street aide...
Yet another 'fake but accurate' attack.
Credibility Deficit!
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