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6 July 2016

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‘I told Tony Blair invading Iraq would be biggest mistake of his life’ – Martin McGuinness

● Martin McGuinness – warned Tony Blair about Iraq

MARTIN McGUINNESS revealed today that he warned Tony Blair at a private meeting in 10 Downing Street that an invasion of Iraq would be “the biggest mistake” of the British Prime Minister’s life.

Martin McGuinness meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Stormont in 2007

Martin McGuinness meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Stormont

Praising Tony Blair for his pivotal role in the Irish Peace Process, the Sinn Féin MLA and deputy First Minister told Pat Kenny on Newstalk radio:

“The only Prime Minister that delivered and faced up to Britain’s role in the North of Ireland was Tony Blair and, of course, here we are talking on the day that the Chilcot Report [on the US/British invasion of Iraq] comes out.

“Tony Blair’s legacy on Ireland was something to be admired, but I remember Gerry Adams and I going to Downing Street before the invasion of Iraq.

“Sitting in the small sitting room with Tony and Jonathan Powell [Blair’s Downing Street Political Chief of Staff], just the four of us, I said to Tony, ‘Tony, the invasion of Iraq, if you take part in it, will be the biggest mistake that you will ever make.’

“Jonathan said from the side, ‘Martin, we will have Iraq sorted out in a few months.’

“I turned around to him and I said, ‘Jonathan, if you believe that, you’re living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.’”

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