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Military Families Against the War: Tony Blair a "Coward"

Families of British soldiers killed in Iraq branded Prime Minister Tony Blair a "coward" for refusing to meet them and discuss their concerns about the war. The group they started, Military Families Against the War, has tried unsuccessfully to meet with Blair on numerous occasions. To be fair, Prime Minister Blair was at the Houses of Parliament when the families of 20 fallen troops delivered their letter. Some have, in response, asked whether he was a coward, or just doing his job?

The families went to Blair`s Downing Street office to hand in a letter demanding that the prime minister talk to them about the reasons why British troops joined the US-led invasion in March 2003 and about withdrawing soldiers from the country. The attempt can be seen as very similar to the attempt by the mother of one U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, Cindy Sheehan, who camped outside of U.S. President George W. Bush`s summer ranch in Texas demanding a meeting with the president.

The letter from Military Families Against the War reads: "It is time for you to take us and our views seriously. We believe we speak for the majority in this country in our desire to bring the troops home." It argues that too many lives, military and civilian, have been lost in the war in Iraq and there was still no end in sight. British military deaths in Iraq since the invasion have reached 103, compared to thousands of American troop deaths and tens of thousands of Iraqis killed by Islamic and Ba`athist terrorists.