Morning:
2°c
Revealed: Tony Blair’s secret oil links to Middle East
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor19 Mar 2010
Tony Blair's secret links to Gulf oil giants were revealed today as fresh details emerged of his “carte blanche” support for George Bush's Iraq war.
The former prime minister has been in the pay of the Kuwaiti government and a South Korean oil firm for up to 18 months, a parliamentary watchdog has revealed.
But the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments allowed Mr Blair to keep his contracts secret because of “market sensitivities” and because the Kuwaitis requested confidentiality.
In a further revelation, a classified memo from Mr Blair to President Bush showed the full extent of his support for the toppling of Saddam Hussein.
The personal note — which has been seen by the Chilcot Inquiry but not released by the Government — shows that Mr Blair wrote: “You know, George, whatever you decide to do, I'm with you.”
The contents of the memo, which is buried in Andrew Rawnsley's book The End Of The Party, confirm the exact words Mr Blair used to offer his strong backing for Bush in July 2002, eight months before the invasion.
The Chilcot committee was barred from quizzing Mr Blair publicly about the private notes to the US president when he gave evidence in January. Downing Street has refused permission to release the secret documents.
Rawnsley's book shows that Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador to the US, reacted with astonishment when he saw the note.
He phoned Mr Blair's foreign policy adviser Sir David Manning, saying: “Why in God's name has he said that again?”
Sir David replied: “We tried to stop him... but he wouldn't listen.”
Reader views (22)
This war criminal fills his pockets, while his country men and women die on the battle field in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Stan White, leeds, 22/03/2010 08:17
Report abuse
Conspicuous by their absence - the Police.
- Jon, bath, 22/03/2010 00:10
Report abuse
I pray that those who have destroyed the lives of millions of children are held accountable for their actions. Crimes against humanity; Blair and the rest of the wealthy liars are nothing but parasitic vermin preying on the innocent.
- Dan Williams, Reno USA, 21/03/2010 21:26
Report abuse
Dear Val Daniels. I personally do not envy Tony Blair at all, or in anyway.
I can look everyone in the world in the eye, with a clear conscience.
Money and Power; cannot buy that feeling.
- Mickinlondon, london, 19/03/2010 16:38
Report abuse
Well this story sums up Blair very well. Blood on his hands and money in the bank. Let's not forget that his cronies are still in office trying to persuade us of their vote worthiness. Don't let them get away with it.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 19/03/2010 16:21
Report abuse
Horrific ... Tony, you twit!
- Ben Farrell, London, 19/03/2010 16:04
Report abuse
Tony Blair has something of the night about him,He sold his soul to the Devil and there's nothing that Val Daniels can do about it ,however hard she tries.
- Jacob, Beelzebub Britain, 19/03/2010 15:45
Report abuse
I suppose Val from Spain, we are a little concerned about Tony Blair because of the little matter that !00 000 people died in the war he took us into. Dont know what part of Spain you live in but I wouldn't boast too much about your support for Tony and therefore his buddy the ultra right wing George Bush. As I remember it many in Spain were virtually communist and not given to liking people that support George Bush who they see as on the far right. Only personal opinion of course.
.
- Alan,, England., 19/03/2010 15:33
Report abuse
Bankers to pay windfall profits?
TB earns his money from his association with the British Voter-Citizen-Taxpayer? Come on Gordon! Impose a swingeing windfall tax on "Our Tone" and you will walk back into No10 riding on a cloud.
- Fuzzylogic, Billericay, 19/03/2010 15:31
Report abuse
Val - unless you have a direct line to Tony, how do you know he is not a non dom? Although he may have several homes in the UK, worth at least 12 million, he spends most of his time abroad, so no one except him and the tax man knows whether or not he pays tax on all his earnings abroad to the UK government. As for his donations to charity that is just a good old tax dodge. As for TBs earnings having nothing to do with media - sorry! It definitely is. Blair took us into an illegal war, on the basis of lie after lie and now he is profiting big time from the oil industry i.e. Iraq. All Ashcroft has done is got up the noses of NuLabour and the BBC - Blair on the hand has profited from his position as PM and an illegal war which saw the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, who died for what? His big pile of bricks in the country.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 19/03/2010 14:56
Report abuse
As a good Catholic; someone should mention to Tony Blair; that a rich-man has as much chance of entering heaven, as a camel through the eye of a needle?
- Mickinlondon, london, 19/03/2010 14:37
Report abuse
Listen to you all. Your envy and paranoia knows no bounds. You believe what you read in the press because it suits your political purposes. How can 'his links to Gulf oil giants' be secret if everybody knows about them. Tony Blair's earnings are nothing to do with the UK media. What ever his earnings are, he is permanently resident in the UK and his earnings are taxed in the UK, unlike Lord Ashcroft's. The fact that there is a two year waiting list before he is available for speaking engagements speaks volumes about his reputation throughout the world - except in the UK. He doesn't lecture on oil or the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The fact that a country like Kuwait that was involved in the first Gulf War under John Major's government would rather pay for advice from Tony Blair than John Major says everything you need to know about his standing and reputation. What is he supposed to do now he has left office, sit on his backside? He earns the amount he does because he's worth it, not forgetting that more than 50% of his earnings goes to charitable causes. The fact that the Korean company has oil interests is a red herring. Most multi-national companies have varied interests and investments; it's what their shareholders expect. If he is the wicked man portrayed in the press, why did Michael Gove say this week that he admired Tony Blair and that the present Conservative Party is the true heir to Blair. Never in a million years, how ever much they wish it.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 19/03/2010 14:21
Report abuse
The real Labour party is starting to become very apparent.
- St, London, 19/03/2010 14:17
Report abuse
But why the surprise? His wife is the same. The free-loaders are not decent people, and I feel so ashamed that we were all conned into voting for him. He doesn't have an ounce of regret or compassion for our boys in Iraq or the tens of thousands the war killed. I'd like to see him on trial for war crimes at the Hague one day.
- Paulay, london, 19/03/2010 14:04
Report abuse
He should stand trial in the Hague for war crimes although perhaps his fate should be to stand trial in Baghdad - that way, he would, no doubt, face the same fate as Saddam Hussain. What an irony!
- Barbara A C, Walton, England, 19/03/2010 13:48
Report abuse
A change of government is urgent.
It will indeed be a tradgedy for this country if the Tories do not get a working majority.
PS I am a one-time Blair supporter - it was all too good to believe
- Bill Caplin, Camden, 19/03/2010 13:40
Report abuse
The fact that Blair is solely responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians is unpardonable. The fact that he has gone on to earn
£20 MILLION for going around the world "talking about his war crimes" is contemptible. Those who attend functions at which he is guest "speaker" must be considered as amoral as Blair.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 19/03/2010 13:15
Report abuse
Is anyone really surprised by all of this? No. Its fairly obvious Blair had to have a source of income, other than his lecture circuit, to have been able to amass the property portfolio that he currently holds. It has always been said that Iraq was always about oil, events have now proven that to be 100% true. Blair has acquired his ill gotten wealth on the back of the lives of young soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. This must be the single most important reason to vote this corrupt govt out of office. Brown and his sycophants are just as guilty as Blair of misleading this country and should be booted out of office. Blair as far as I am concerned should go and rot in hell.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 19/03/2010 13:02
Report abuse
Bliar's rise to power and ten years in Downing Street were built upon a foundation of deceit, lies spin and treachery. McClown has followed in his footsteps, but without the same success, as he is not as accomplished a liar.
He took us to war in Iraq on the back of a pack of lies about WMD, which we all know never existed. Perhaps we now have the ulterior motive for that war, and the reason behind Bliar's first act as PM being the abolition of the death penalty for treason.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 19/03/2010 13:01
Report abuse
No surprises in this article - this man has only ever been interested in what power/money he can obtain (from any source) - he had/has no interest in the man in the street or the interests of this country. No doubt he has also found ways to avoid paying full taxes as well!
- Andy, london, 19/03/2010 12:53
Report abuse
So Gordo 'got his facts wrong' and Blair lied ..... situation normal then. I still find it hard to believe anyone would want these people in office for another term. This country really does deserve better than this corrupt, lying, shambles of a government.
- Bob H, London, 19/03/2010 12:48
Report abuse
Another example of this dishonest, unworthy, untrustworthy, war criminal low life and his equally labelled partners having no regard to facts. Instead instigate a futile war that has cost many soldiers and innocent peoples lives just to line their pockets. Sooner they are in the dock at The Hague the better.
- Peter, Vienna, Austria, 19/03/2010 12:46
Report abuse
