Dundee LibDems slam "billions wasted on Iraq disaster"

10.14.58pm GMT Sat 25th Nov 2006

Dundee Liberal Democrats today (Saturday 25th November) slammed the Labour Government over its failure in Iraq costing billions of Pounds.

Tony Blair is facing accusations of wasting nearly £7 billion of taxpayers' money on a failing global war on terror after announcing massive sums of British aid to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the last week, the Prime Minister and Chancellor have trumpeted special funding to the three countries totalling £844 million. This is in addition to the estimated £5 billion cost to British taxpayers of the Iraq war so far, and the £1 billion spent to date on the British deployment in Afghanistan.

The funding announcements came just days after Mr Blair admitted in an interview with al-Jazeera that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a "disaster".

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell, said, "It tells you all you want to know about this Government that Number 10 has to indulge in semantics to explain away the Prime Minister's admission. 'Disaster' is precisely how the vast majority of MPs and the British people regard the situation in Iraq."

Locally, here in Dundee, LibDem spokesperson Michael Charlton said, "Billions of pounds that should have been used to the world's poorest countries has been squandered in illegal military action against Iraq. The UK should be adopting a strategy that leads to a phased withdrawal."

Related Link:

Curfew is reminder of need for new Iraq strategy - Moore.