John Reid had the unenviable job of answering questions about the resignation of Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, this morning on the Today Programme. He put in a solid performance despite interviewer John Humphrys‘ “sophistry”. The accusation was accurate.

Of course, Reid’s job would have been easier if he had not been forced to defend the whole “Weapons of Mass Destruction” justification for going to war in Iraq. I have never bothered with any of that cobblers myself, but I didn’t have to justify my support for war to the World’s guardians of peace, international law, and human life, countries like China, France and the Russian Federation.

My not talking about Weapons of Mass Destruction annoys my anti-war friends intensely. There was a legal case for the war, but I could care less, and I pissed off so-called peace-lovers even more by sticking simply to the absolute moral question.

The war’s been over for weeks. The Americans and British should have restored electricity, fresh water, sanitation and every last artifact to its cabinet by now. But most importantly where are those Weapons of Mass Destruction they said threatened London? Without them, surely you’ve got to wonder why we did it?

Anyway, over to Lindsey German, organiser of the UK Stop The War campaign:

“I think that the best thing we could do to back our troops up, is to bring them home. They’ve got no right to be in Iraq.
They are doing no good and it’s absolutely clear now that the local population feel a lot of animosity towards them.”

. Well, what right have we to interfere in peaceful discussions between the various interested local parties over the future of Iraq? They’re grown-ups; I’m sure they can come to some kind of amicable arrangment…

Anyway, if you agree with her, you can pop over to their Website, download and sign their “Defend George Galloway Petition“.

I certainly do agree with them that:

“The attack on George Galloway is a general attack on the biggest anti war movement that this country has ever seen…”