does the majority british citizen support the war in Iraq?

Answer 1

In my opinion, the following speech made by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish, just before going into battle in Iraq on March 19th (and speaking to the 800 men under his command) sums up my attitude as a British Citizen to this war:-

"It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.

The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.

We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people — and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others, I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose.

But if you are ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory. It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts. They live with the mark of Cain upon them.

If someone surrenders to you, then remember they have that right in international law — and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

If you harm the regiment or its history by over enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest — for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform nor our nation”.

“It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders. And that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike, we will survive the attack.

Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood — and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see — and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality, even though they have nothing.

Don't treat them as refugees, for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor. In years to come, they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

If there are casualties of war, then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly — and mark their graves.

As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home —and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now is north”.

Attitude of one Vice-Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the US Fifth Fleet, and a distinguished Naval Aviator when addressing the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation shortly before the first cruise missiles were fired, on March 20th.

"Make no mistake, when the President says `Go', look out, it's hammer time. OK, it is hammer time".

(Ship's loudspeakers blast Queen song “We Will Rock You”)

Answer 2

I just saw trailers and clips from a movie called Obsession, if anyone has a problem with Iraq or Afghanistan, or anythink else about the war on terror I suggest they watch this movie, and maybe lost the "oh they don't mean it'" or " that could never happen here"
mindset. Iraq is only a small part of what is going to be needed to be done.

Answer 3

Its not that simple, on the whole the average British citizen isnt keen on war but realises that its not as simple as "oh - lets just stop then". The reasons are far more complex. Saddam Hussein had to taken out of a position of power, he had strong links with Al Quieda and was the most unstable of the Muslem despots.
He had to go - the 9/11 atrocity was the catalist but not the reason. As unpalatable as it may be to most card carrying "guardianistas" the only real threat to the West at present is a Muslem one, even the so called "moderate" MCB (Muslem Council of Britain) say that "while we dont agree with terrorism we cant say that our members will not take things into their own hands/fiery youths/dissafected religious groups......yada yada yada" in other words they agree with the extremist action. The same thing was happening on a world scale and after Hussein had invaded Kuwait and been punished he gathered a LOT of Muslem sympathy on the world stage, by the time 9/11 happened he was being bolstered left right and centre by "the axis of evil" and was capable of pretty much anything - he HAD to be taken out of the equation - as a symbol of what we were capable of as much as anything.
So no while most British people (real Brits, native to the Isles) dont agree with war we agree that groups like Hussien and other terrorist sympathisers have to be countered (ie killed) to protect our own freedom and way of life - to not oppose them is to invite them in!

Answer 4

No. Saddam committed genocide and was a dictator, but it doesn't give America and the UK the right to go in and bomb a load of innocents. It should have been finished off in 1991. The Kurds and Marsh Arabs rose up just as the UN left and were massacred. Then Bush and Blair come in and (illegally) start a war.

Answer 5

we are loosing the conflict on the grounds that's a lose lose game. We opened a can of warmth and that's impossible to close it back returned. The Iraqis are actually not spineless, they're bloodthirsty and so a strategies have deliver us merely approximately 3000 ineffective squaddies and a minimum of 20000 injured. to not ignore 700000 Iraqis have died in accordance to the those days released UN checklist. That u . s . a . became prepare by ability of the Brits interior the early 1900s, combining Shiite Arabs Muslims, Sunni Arab Muslims, and the Kurds. Kurds and Shiites did not pick to be slightly of the then newly created u . s . a . yet they have been compelled to settle for the only bitter determination that they had. Now, after one hundred years we are attempting to make the comparable mistake! isn't that great? On ultimate of our idiocies, we would pick to stabilize the rustic...LOL my friends that may not in any respect ensue.

Answer 6

No, not at all! Most of them are against British soldiers being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan!

Answer 7

No! But I do support the troops and civilian workers 100 per cent!! Send Bush and Blair into Iraq to sort it out, give our men and women enough rope to do their job safely, get things up and running then get them all home out of that Hell Hole!!

Answer 8

No.

Irrespective of the arguments for legality, necessity or justification it will just exacerbate the problem (increase in anti west sentiment equals an increase in the number of terrorist attacks and an increase in terrorist attacks equals increase in popular support for an illegal war).

Unfortunately, people like simple solutions to complex problems and ‘bomb the bastards’ wins elections, keeps the oil flowing for our gas guzzling motors and ensures a healthy dividend for the shareholders.

Answer 9

Don't know about the Brits, but here in my part of America, we are all disgusted for the lying President Bush for starting it! Sadaam was no angel, but Bush decieved the American public into thinking this war was justified! Makes me sick to think of all the fine soldiers in the coalition that have died, regardless of their country of origin.

Answer 10

As an American,I would say if they do it is out of polite respect and cautious optimism for the USA.