Call For Collaborators

“And – and here is my real point – public opinion is public opinion. And opinion in the US is quite simply on a different planet from opinion here in Europe or in the Arab world.”

Tony Blair to George W. Bush July 28th 2002

Overview

The long awaited Chilcot inquiry was published on Wednesday, which looked into whether the war waged against Iraq was justified and legal. If you live in the UK, or are plugged into the UK news – you would have thought it was an international talking point. However, as this post shows, most other nations were extremely apathetic towards the report.

The US

4,502 Amercians have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom. There has been no official enquiry into the justification of the war. The Chilcot achieved coverage, but little analysis in it’s press. Some believe the actions of Bush and Blair were right and just.

WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Wall Street Journal front page on day of Chilcot Inquiry
The front page of the WSJ on 6th July 16

“Britain’s establishment never forgave itself for taking the country to war in Iraq in 2003, and [Chilcot] provided a fresh opportunity for self-flagellation.”

WSJ Opinion in The Wall Street Journal

How to get past WSJ paywall…

THE WASHINGTON POST

The Washington Post front page on day of Chilcot Inquiry
The Washington Post on 6th July 16

“…the report … could shape British decision-making for years or even decades to come.”

Griff Witte in The Washington Post

Australia and Poland

No mention of the Chilcot Inquiry
Wyborcza Polish media were quiet about The Chilcot Inquiry too

After Britain and the US, Australia and Poland sent the most troops to
Iraq. Australia sent 2,000 soldiers and Poland around 2,500. The Chilcot Inquiry did not make the front page of their media.

Middle East and Iraq

Iraqi area tweet after Chilcot Inquiry
A tweet sourced from the Iraq area in the hours after the Chilcot Inquiry released - this view may not be representative of the region

Between 151,000 and 1 million Iraqis died in the Iraq War. There was little coverage of the Chilcot Inquiry. It’s unsurprising given Baghdad suffered it’s worst attack since the invasion on Sunday 3rd July with 281 dead (and counting), at the hands of ISIS. It is also a major festival as Muslims are celebrating Eid. It is unlikely that the Chilcot Inquiry will have done much for Iraqis. Above is shown one of the few reactions from the area on Twitter.

AL JAZEERA

Al Jazeera front page - Chilcot Inquiry
Chilcot Inquiry did dominate the (english version) of Al Jazeera, though there was little analysis

The Inquiry made the front page, but only three reports were written. They produced one opinion piece by a  London based journalist.

“Against such damning criticism, there were still a few mitigating cries from corners of the British media, notably from commentators that had supported either the 2003 war or Tony Blair as leader of the Labour party.”

Rachel Shabi in Al Jazeera

Britain

179 British soldiers died in the Iraq war.

Britain kicked up a huge fuss about the news…

The Guardian Chilcot Inquiry
The Times Chilcot Inquiry

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Alice Thwaite

Alice Thwaite is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Echo Chamber Club. Her twitter is @alicelthwaite. She reads as many independent blogs as she can find, and uses social media monitoring to identify common opinions that liberal metropolitans hold, or where they need a little extra information.