Blair says British troops must be part of a ‘proper ground war’ against ISIS
Ex-PM admits the West "underestimated" the problems in Iraq after the toppling of Saddam Hussein
TONY Blair has admitted he ‘underestimated’ the problems of going to war in Iraq and says British troops must be sent back to the region to help wipe out ISIS.
The former Prime Minister said it was vital to take on the jihadis on the ground before they can capture more of Libya, where the terror group has been steadily expanding.
He said this did not necessarily mean British troops doing the fighting and said they could be there just to support local soldiers.
But speaking at an event in Westminster he stressed the West must be prepared to take part in a ‘proper ground war’.
Blair said: “[To defeat ISIS] you are going to have to go and wage a proper ground war against them.
"This is where we have got to learn the lessons, not just of Iraq but what has come afterwards as well.
“Air strikes are not going to defeat ISIS, they have got to be tackled on the ground.
"We are not being honest with our public if we are saying it is possible to defeat these people without making the commitment to defeat them and to do what it takes to defeat them.
"In my view, defeating them is absolutely fundamental because if we don't defeat them they are going to come and attack us here.
“This is not someone else's fight, it is our fight as well."
At the talk organised by Prospect Magazine he said the choice was not between a full-scale ground invasion force which could govern the land after the fighting and not making any intervention at all.
The forthcoming publication of the Chilcot Inquiry report is expected to criticise the former Labour Prime Minister and his administration.
Today he did not comment on what the report may say but admitted he had some regrets about intervening in Iraq in 2003.
He did not say the invasion had been a mistake but said the West had failed to anticipate the instability in the country that occurred after Saddam Hussein was removed from power.
"We underestimated profoundly the forces that were at work in the region and that would take advantage of the change once you topple the regime," he said.
And when asked whether the legacy of the Iraq War made it more difficult for a British leader to send troops to fight overseas he said: "You can describe it as a legacy or describe it as a fact that arises from the nature of the conflict."