Tony Blair should face trial over "illegal" Iraq war, Corbyn says
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair could face trial over war crimes during the “illegal” Iraq War, Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday.
"I think it was an illegal war, I'm confident about that, indeed (former UN secretary general) Kofi Annan confirmed it was an illegal war, and therefore he has to explain to that,” Corbyn said in an interview with BBC2's Newsnight.
"The consequences are still played out with migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, refugees all over the region," he said.
Corbyn also urged Blair to "confess" his understanding with former US President George W. Bush in his private meetings in Crawford, Texas.
The accusations came after it was made public earlier in June that the Chilcot report, a British public inquiry into the nation's role in the Iraq War which has taken six years and has cost £10m, was “unlikely to be published for another year at least”, according to sources close to the inquiry.
British PM David Cameron urged chairman Sir John Chilcot to name a date for it to be finally released.
Corbyn also made clear his opposition to the UK's involvement in the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, a day after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced the country would extend its Iraqi air campaign against the yihadist group.
Read more: UK extends Iraqi air campaign against Islamic State to 2017
"I would want to isolate Isis. I don’t think going on a bombing campaign in Syria is going to bring about their defeat. I think it would make them stronger. I am not a supporter of military intervention. I am a supporter of isolating Isis and bringing about a coalition of the region against them," Corbyn commented.
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