Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Long-awaited Report Slams Blair for British Involvement in Iraq
A long-awaited report released sharply criticized Tony Blair for leading Britain into the Iraq War, but Blair maintains that Iraq is better off now without Saddam Hussein. What’s going on inside Iraq and what is the current U.S. policy there?
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenA massive report released Wednesday after a seven year inquiry sharply criticized former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for leading Britain into the Iraq War. Could the findings lead to legal action against Blair and members of his administration? Also, following the report, Blair maintained that Iraq is better off now without Saddam Hussein. But five years after the U.S. withdrawal, the country is still at war and more than 250 people were killed in a recent ISIS suicide bombing. What’s going on inside Iraq and what is the current U.S. policy there? Then, we remember Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, whose more than 40 films and documentaries were described as “contemplative” and “poetic.” Next, since 2011, journalist Ben Ehrenreich has been traveling to Palestinian communities to report on confrontations with Israeli troops and the often harsh realities of Palestinian lives. The result is a new book called “The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine.” And finally, LA Metro is launching its new bike-share program Thursday. Will it be affordable enough for low-income riders?
Banner Image: Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, delivers a speech following the publication of The Iraq Inquiry Report by John Chilcot, in London, Britain July 6, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Rousseau/Pool
