TV SHOCKER DEMOLISHES CASE FOR WAR





WE WILL all remember where we were when we saw "Shock and Awe" start.

And we will all remember how we felt: shocked and awful.

The live TV footage of the bombardment of Baghdad last night was sickening to watch and to hear.

For those who are opposed to this war, it was hideous confirmation of our worst fears.

And for those who support it, there must have been terrible misgivings about what they were witnessing.

The bombardment was relentless, enormous, devastating.

But what will have horrified Tony Blair is the fact that it was all captured on video - exposing the brutal reality of his political decision to back this unjustified war.

Thus exposing the brutal reality of his political decision to back this unjustified war.

The Prime Minister must surely realise how horrendous it looked to the watching world.

This is his worst nightmare - people will not be in awe of what they saw, they will be utterly appalled.

With their own eyes, beamed directly into their homes, they saw cities being destroyed, and knew that many innocent civilians were inevitably being hurt or killed.

For those who already hate America and its allies, including Britain, it was just the kind of advert they've been waiting for to justify more outrages.

Perversely, a war supposed to be about removing weapons of mass destruction became an onslaught against the alleged culprit deploying equally destructive firepower.

In Washington, George Bush and his right-wing administration would have watched with pride and satisfaction at the "awesome" military display.

In London, Tony Blair and his Cabinet must have watched in mounting desperation - knowing how damaging it would be to their argument that this war is designed to help the Iraqi people and peace in the Middle East.

What we saw last night was the world's only superpower flexing its muscles in a way that will send shock-waves throughout the globe.

Some will feel cowed by the pictures. Many will have felt sad. Many more angry and resentful.

And others will simply resolve to exact terrible revenge.

How many more terrorists were created last night? In our name, by a Prime Minister acting without the support of his people or the United Nations?