London, UK, October 29 – Yet another leaked Government document has
exposed the fallacy of Blair's denial of a link between British foreign
policy and violence and insecurity. While Blair has continually blamed
violence on a "perversion of Islam", the leaked memo by senior Cabinet
officials demands a "significant reduction in the number and intensity
of the regional conflicts that fuel terror activity".
The memo also suggests that in an ideal world "the Muslim would not perceive the UK and its foreign policies as hostile".
The leaked memo adds to the wealth of evidence that proves the link between foreign policy and violence. The US National Intelligence Estimate decisively claimed that the Iraq war had created a greater threat of violence and a report from the UK Ministry of Defence claimed that "The war in Iraq…has acted as a recruiting sergeant for extremists across the Muslim world…Iraq has served to radicalise an already disillusioned youth." Even the head of the British Army was forced to admit that it was the occupation of Iraq that was fuelling violence and instability.
Commenting on the leaked memo, Dr Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "This is yet another piece of evidence, from the Government itself, that it is the foreign policy of Western governments that is fuelling 'terror activity', violence and instability. Blair's oft-repeated denials cannot even convince senior Cabinet officials who warned him of the dire consequences of the Iraq war before the invasion."
"Muslims cannot be blamed for perceiving foreign policy to be hostile when it is characterised by illegal military occupation, support for tyrants and dictators and intransigence towards Israeli aggression. The blame for all of this rests with the architects of such policies, not the victims of such aggression."
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