Arab world shrugs shoulders as judges block bid to prosecute Blair

Tony Blair

LONDON: Many Arabs are expected to view the British High Court ruling that Tony Blair should not face prosecution over the Iraq War as another example of Western leaders not being held to account, Middle East commentators said.
The judges’ decision blocks an attempt by Abdulwaheed Shannan Al-Rabbat, a former Iraqi general, to bring a private war crimes prosecution against the former British prime minister, The Associated Press reported.
The decision centered on there being no crime of aggression in English law under which Blair, who was prime minister from 1997 to 2007, could be tried.
Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the Chatham House think tank, said the ruling merely confirms what many in the Middle East have long believed: That no Western leader will be prosecuted for the Iraq War.
“The Arab world long gave up on any repercussions for any US and UK leader on Iraq,” Khatib told Arab News.
“There was no expectation in the Arab world for any Western leader facing prosecution.
“The latest ruling will not cause any waves in the Arab world; it will be viewed as merely business as usual and confirm the power dynamic between the West and the Arab world in which the West has the upper hand.”
That view was echoed by Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, who claimed the High Court ruling will simply confirm for many the long-held view in the Middle East that Western leaders are never held responsible for their actions.
“This reinforces the view that exists in the Middle East that Western leaders, be they from the UK or US, are never held to account,” Doyle told Arab News.
“If you look at leaders who end up at the ICC (International Criminal Court) they tend to be African. So there’s a running sore in the Middle East on the issue of accountability.
“You’ll never see someone like Putin have his day in court over crimes in Syria and the message that will be received is that once again leaders from certain countries simply aren’t held accountable.”
Of the issue of the Iraq War Doyle added, “In Iraq the war is still very much a live issue, it is a running sore for many, and what (Blair) and (the then US President) George Bush did is seen as key in devastating Iraq.
“There are some, though, who thank Blair and Bush for getting rid of Saddam Hussein. This issue is a highly polarizing one. There were Iraqis pushing for intervention. In the broader Arab world the mainstream public view is one of opposition to the war.”
In Britain the debate over whether Blair should be in the dock is equally polarizing, between those who want to see him put on trial in The Hague for war crimes and those who feel what he did was right. In July 2016 the Chilcot Report, which looked into into Britain’s role in the Iraq War, concluded the invasion was not the “last resort” presented to the public and undermined the UN.
But Khatib said that even that was seen as too little too late for most Iraqis.
“We are coming up to the first anniversary of the Chilcot Report and in the Arab world there was muted response to it,” she said.
“People feel the Iraq War has already caused too much long-term damage and the report had little effect on their lives. They have more pressing concerns and are still living through the consequences of the war.”
Of Blair, she added: “Tony Blair is viewed in the Arab World as one of two key leaders responsible for the Iraq War, and the failed Quartet envoy in the context of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“He has two failures to his name and there is no chance he’ll be able to play a significant role in the Middle East again.”
Blair’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by Arab News.