Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned on Thursday of terrorist attacks larger than those carried out in Paris in which 130 people were killed if the threat of the Islamic State was not seriously addressed.
Speaking at an event at the U.S. Library of Congress, Blair laid out what he said was a comprehensive strategy for defeating the Islamic State, which he said must begin with a recognition of the size of the challenge.
“But a continued failure to recognize the scale of the challenge and to construct the means necessary to meet it will result in terrorist attacks potentially worse than those in Paris, producing a backlash which then stigmatize the majority of decent law abiding Muslims and puts the very alliance that is so necessary at risk creating a cycle of chaos and violence,” said Blair.
Blair has become a controversial figure in Britain for his support of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In October Blair acknowledged that the invasion of Iraq played a part in the rise of the Islamic State militant group, and apologized for some mistakes in planning the war.
In Washington D.C. on Thursday Blair said that the Islamic state must be fought miltarily and ideologically.
“But destroying the so-called caliphate is an essential part of destroying the concept of it as a unifying structure for extremist groups which underpins so much of the jihadist propaganda. It is also essential to securing a just outcome in Syria which in turn of course is the only solution to the refugee crisis,” he said.
Critics say the U.S. decision to disband Saddam Hussein’s army after the 2003 invasion created a huge security vacuum exploited by al Qaeda, which was eventually replaced by Islamic State. (Reuters)
