“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
“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.”
THE WASHINGTON POST
“…the report … could shape British decision-making for years or even decades to come.”
Australia and Poland
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
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
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.”
Britain
179 British soldiers died in the Iraq war.
Britain kicked up a huge fuss about the news…
This is the second newsletter from The Echo Chamber. Please send us your feedback here and share with your network!
What is the Echo Chamber?
We are a group of editors who send a weekly newsletter with views that are against metropolitan beliefs. We dive into a different topic each week.
