Gordon Carrera

If Britain had left the alliance at that point, it would have had a significant impact on the relationship.

I was sure that our alliance depended on us doing this together.

That's what Tony Blair told me years later about why he turned down that offer from George W. Bush to back out at the last minute.

I think it's a very revealing statement because it tells you that

Tony Blair's reasons for taking part in the war were about preserving the relationship with the US.

I've always felt that was the primary motivation for him.

He does worry about WMD.

I'm not saying that's not part of it and getting into the hands of terrorists or reshaping the Middle East.

These ideological reasons matter.

But I think he is fundamentally thinking we need to stay close.

So welcome back.

It's March 2003.

And I guess a bit like the recent attack on Iran that we saw in 2026, the attack on Iraq in 2003 starts with what's called a decapitation strike based on inside intelligence against the leader, in this case, of the Iraqi regime.

And I think actually one of the sources that they had is killed in the bombing that the CIA had.

Oh boy.

So it's an interesting start to the war.

What is Saddam doing though?

It's so interesting because until close to the end, I think Saddam is not convinced the US are actually going to do it.

He thinks that they're bluffing.

As we'd said, he's not prepared very much because he's been spending more and more time in his last few years not running the Iraqi government, but really focusing on his new career path as what else but a novelist.