THE THIRD WAY OR GALLOWAY:

'I'm with those fighting for the future' (GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN, 9/09/04, The Scotsman)

[I]raq’s new ambassador to the United Nations, Samir Sumaida’ie yesterday praised Britain and the US for having the courage to go to war against Saddam Hussein, saying history would judge that Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, had been right to defy his critics.

He launched a scathing attack on those who had been most vocal in their opposition to the war, dismissing them as ill-informed about the nature of Saddam’s regime and identifying George Galloway, the Scottish MP, as one of those most at fault.

"There are the George Galloways of this world and there are the Tony Blairs and I’m with those who are fighting for the future," Mr Sumaida’ie said.

"George Galloway has not been helpful in this whole saga and ... he played a role to support [Saddam’s regime]. This was very bad for us."

The new ambassador said opponents of the war had misunderstood what it was like to live under Saddam’s regime.

"The whole spectrum of these people were insufficiently informed about the catastrophic situation in Iraq under Saddam and the implications for the world community if Saddam had remained in power," he said. "I think that Tony Blair demonstrated tremendous leadership and vision.

"He has not only been unappreciated but he has come under huge political pressure and criticism and I think in 20, 30 or 50 years time historians will look back and give him the credit he richly deserves.

"Now the problems are too vivid in their minds to allow him this acclaim."

It's worse than that--they know exactly what Saddam's Iraq was like, they just don't care.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 9, 2004 10:48 AM