We were right to invade Iraq, defiant Blair tells families

A defiant Tony Blair yesterday told the grieving families of British soldiers killed in Iraq that he could not apologise for the invasion because he believed it was the "right thing" to do.

"I understand for these families, it is a time of immense grief and anguish, but I can't say what I don't believe," said Mr Blair. "I don't believe it was wrong to get rid of Saddam."

The Prime Minister added: "I also don't believe that the reason that we have the problem we have in Iraq is because of anything other than a deliberate attempt to give us that problem by terrorists."

After suffering one of the biggest rebellions ever staged by Labour MPs over his plans to update Britain's nuclear weapons, Mr Blair left Westminster for one of his regular attempts to talk directly to the people.

Interviewed by Sky News, Mr Blair said the Western world should stop apologising for trying to do the "right thing" in Iraq although he admitted his views were not shared around European capitals.

"We're not making it worse, they [the terrorists] are making it worse. Until the Western world stops apologising for its values, stops apologising for the work its troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, we're never going to defeat this."

Mr Blair also insisted that in spite of Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain should remain "in the first division of countries who intervene" around the world.

His remarks alarmed Labour rebels who joined the 95-strong revolt against the Government over the replacement of Britain's £65bn Trident nuclear weapons system. They also fuelled warnings from former defence chiefs in the Lord that Gordon Brown, who is due to deliver his last Budget next week, will have to increase defence spending by 3 per cent of Britain's GDP to meet the additional demands being placed on the armed forces.

"He is living in la-la-land if he thinks this is a sensible policy," said the Labour MP Alan Simpson. "He clearly wants British foreign policy to be a world-wide combat zone. Is this why he wants Britain to build a new nuclear weapon?" Meanwhile, the former Speaker of the Commons, Lady Boothroyd accused Mr Blair of being a "lame duck" Prime Minister.

Interesting? Click here to explore further