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WAS IT ALL WORTH IT? Oct 11 2003
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Blair
hears war questioned at Iraq service No amount of talking about ideals
makes this easier, you know the cost in a uniqueway ARCHBISHOP OF
CANTERBURY ROWAN WILLIAMS YESTERDAY | | By Tom Newton Dunn |
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TONY
Blair went to a sombre service yesterday for Britain's fallen heroes in
Iraq - to hear the war criticised by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Another churchman insisted on remembering the Iraqi dead alongside our own.
And a heckler shouted: "You bastard!" at Mr Blair as he left St Paul's Cathedral.
The Prime Minister looked uncomfortable when Archbishop Rowan Williams openly questioned whether the war was a success.
He
told the 2,500 congregation, including the Queen and 13 other royals:
"We have to acknowledge that moral vision is harder to convert into
reality than we should like.
"We
never know in advance quite what price will have to be paid in human
lives, civilian and military, local and foreign, young and old." He
told those who experienced "the final and awful reality of a tragedy
involving a son or daughter, a spouse, a parent - no amount of talking
about ideals makes this easier. You know the cost in a unique way."
Rt
Rev David Conner, Bishop to the Forces, led prayers for "those of our
armed services and of our allies who fell in the conflict and in
peacekeeping operations".
He
added: "Let us remember also the civilian and military dead of Iraq -
and all whose lives have been taken while bringing relief to people in
need."
The heckler shouted
at Mr Blair as he left hand in hand with wife Cherie. Police led the
man away. He told them he belonged to the British Legion. Some grieving
relatives were too angry to stay silent. Gordon Evans, whose
24-year-old son Llywelyn died, said Mr Blair was not welcome and should
have stayed away.
Mr
Evans, of Llandudno, Caernarfonshire, said: "If it was not for him
there would not be a memorial service because the troops would never
have gone out in the first place."
Dr
John Moses, outspoken Dean of St Paul's, said earlier: "The backdrop to
the service is that the nation is divided on whether we were right to
go to war.
"The initiative for the service came from the Government - and we may question whether the time is right."
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