Blood on his hands: Should Tony Blair be prosecuted for war crimes?
- Text by Max Gayler
- Photography by Seb Heseltine
“I will be with you, whatever,” Tony Blair allegedly told George Bush ahead of the Iraq invasion in 2003.
Blair’s decision to side with Bush over the millions of people who marched in the streets to oppose the war destroyed his political reputation. Today the Chilcot Inquiry delivered a damning assessment of Blair’s decision to push ahead with the war, on the basis of flawed intelligence and without exhausting all options for a peaceful solution to the diplomatic crisis.
“Blair should be held to the highest level of account in this country”, Caroline Lucas MP told Huck. “The first thing we need to do is to make sure this country ratifies the amendment with International Criminal Court, which means that lies of aggression can be punished.”
Blair’s failure to make a suitable plan for post-invasion governance was blamed for the Iraqi civil war that developed on his watch, the violence and corruption that still plagues the country, and the displacement of three-to-five million Iraqis.
Conservative estimates put the Iraq death toll at over 150,000, but if we take into account the regional instability unleashed, such as the Syrian conflict, that number could be even higher.
So, while Chilcot has not ruled on the legality of the war, he placed blame squarely at Blair’s door. Should he be tried for war crimes? We asked those who’d gathered outside the inquiry for their thoughts.
George Kerevan MP
Incasa Oraibi
Murad Qureshi
Zailat Mimi
Daniel Taylor
Simon Jay
Gareth Jenkins
Andy Robinson
You might like
As amapiano goes global, where does it leave its roots?
Rainbow grooves — Over the past decade, the house music subgenre has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. Jak Hutchcraft went to its birthplace of Mamelodi, South Africa, to explore its still-thriving local scene.
Written by: Jak Hutchcraft
See winners of the World Press Photo Contest 2025
A view from the frontlines — There are 42 winning photographers this year, selected from 59,320 entries.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
Inside Kashmir’s growing youth tattoo movement
Catharsis in ink — Despite being forbidden under Islam, a wave of tattoo shops are springing up in India-administered Kashmir. Saqib Mugloo spoke to those on both ends of the needle.
Written by: Saqib Mugloo
In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive
Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.
Written by: Fred Dodgson
Meet the muxes of Juchitán, Mexico’s Indigenous third gender
Zapotec folk — Having existed since the pre-colonial era in southeast Oaxaca state, a global rise in LGBTQ+ hate is seeing an age-old culture face increasing scrutiny. Now, the community is organising in response, and looking for a space to call their own.
Written by: Peter Yeung
India’s bodybuilding boom reflects a nation flexing its muscles
Huck’s debut feature documentary reveals how young Indian men are willing to turn their backs on tradition and compete for a better life – even if it means sacrificing their health.
Written by: Alex King
