Tony Blair Defends Iraq Legacy

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair sought to explain himself on Friday before an inquiry tasked with learning the lessons of the Iraq War. According to Blair, his attitude toward security "changed dramatically" after 9/11, prompting his eventual decision to join the United States in invading Iraq. "Here's what changed for me: the whole calculus of risk," he said. "The point about this terrorist act was over 3,000 people had been killed, an absolutely horrific event. But if these people, inspired by this religious fanaticism could have killed 30,000, they would have [done it]." Blair added that after 9/11 "Iran, Libya, North Korea, Iraq ... All of this had to be brought to an end." Many observers are eager to hear from Blair about documents and allegations suggesting he committed Britain to backing the US war significantly earlier than the actual invasion, while diplomatic measures were still being applied.