You would think that with a diary title like this that I would be writing a about GW Bush. I'm not. This is a headline in the Independent, a great British paper and the story is about Tony Blair.
Blair made this
announcement connecting his god and Iraq against the wishes of advisers who warned him not to mix religion and politics. Now he runs the risk of inflaming British citizens and worsening the Arab-West conflict which is perceived by many as a "crusade."
To defend attacking Iraq, Blair said "If you have faith about these things then you realise that judgement is made by other people. If you believe in God,it's made by God as well."
Blair didn't suddenly find religion. Back in Aug 2003,
Blair gave
faith-based "groups a central role in policy-making in a decisive break with British traditions that religion and government should not mix."
There have been earlier reports as well that Bush and Blair planned to attack Iraq after a prayer meeting at Bush's ranch:
There have been persistent reports that Mr Blair joined the President in prayer for God's guidance at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in 2002, at the summit at which many people believe a secret decision was reached to invade Iraq.
The claim was made in a book by the Christian author Stephen Mansfield, who said he had heard it from White House officials. It was later backed up by a writer on Time magazine, David Aikman.
Parents of soldiers who died in the Iraq war were not happy to hear this news.
Roger Bacon, who has been trying unsuccessfully to meet Tony Blair since his son, Major Matthew Bacon, 34, was killed in Iraq, said last night: "This would explain why he won't see the parents. How can he speak to us when God told him to send the troops out to Iraq so our sons could be killed?"
And Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in Basra in 2004, said she was "quite disgusted" at the comments made by the Prime Minister. The Military Families Against the War campaigner said: "How can he say he is a Christian? A Christian would never put people out there to be killed.
"A good Christian wouldn't be for this war. I'm actually quite disgusted by the comments. It's a joke."
No, it's not a joke. It's a horrible situation for which we need a solution. And it doesn't appear that Bush or Blair will be able to help us through this one because they have placed it totally in God's hands. If religion plays such a large role in Blair's life, why isn't he being a stronger advocate for Iraqi civilians -- it's likely more than 100,000 have died since the beginning of the
war.