Mandela ‘breathed fire’ over Britain’s role in Iraq, says ex-minister
September 13th, 2010 - 4:30 pm ICT by ANILondon, Sept.13 (ANI): Former South African president Nelson Mandela is reported to have picked up the phone and called London to spell out his anger about the decision to join the US-led mission to topple Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein.
The extraordinary call was made Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of Wales, in the Blair Cabinet.
According to The Independent, diplomatic niceties were abandoned as he warned that Britain’s reputation around the world would suffer “huge damage” because of the invasion and that all the Blair administration’s good work in Africa would be forgotten.
Mr Hain, a long-standing friend, discloses details of the call in a new biography of Mandela.
Hain recalled: “He said: ‘A big mistake, Peter, a very big mistake. It is wrong. Why is Tony doing this after all his support for Africa? This will cause huge damage internationally’.”
He said last night that he had never encountered his old friend as angry as he was during that conversation: “He was virtually breathing fire down the phone on this and feeling a sense of betrayal.”
He went on: “It wasn’t a pre-planned call that I had been expecting. He was just put through by Downing Street. Because we were friends he was probably more frank with me than he would have been if he had been speaking with a prime minister or president.”(ANI)
- Nelson Mandela was dismayed when "small man" Bush invaded Iraq - Nov 12, 2010
- Nelson Mandela discharged from hospital (Lead) - Feb 26, 2012
- Nelson Mandela hospitalised after stomach complaint (Lead) - Feb 25, 2012
- Iraq will be left to wolves if US withdraws: Saddam's aide - Aug 06, 2010
- US military hands over former headquarters to Iraq - Dec 02, 2011
- Mandela discharged from hospital - Feb 26, 2012
- Blair expresses regret for Iraq war victims - Jan 22, 2011
- Malaysian mock tribunal finds Bush, Blair guilty of 'crimes against peace' - Nov 24, 2011
- Nelson Mandela 'alive and kicking', says SA's acting president - Jan 28, 2011
- Two held for murdering friend - May 10, 2011
- Google to donate 1.25 million dollars for Nelson Mandela's archive - Mar 10, 2011
- Nelson Mandela hospitalized for 'routine tests' - Jan 27, 2011
- South Africa found it inconvenient to grant visa: Dalai Lama (Lead) - Oct 07, 2011
- Man jailed in Britain for hate rant over Iraq war - Jul 30, 2011
- Keith Richards supported Tony Blair over Iraq invasion - Nov 05, 2010
Tags: anger, betrayal, blair, breathing fire, dictator saddam hussein, diplomatic niceties, downing street, fire down, invasion, nelson mandela, new biography, old friend, peter hain, president nelson mandela, prime minister, saddam hussein, secretary of state, south african president, work and pensions, work in africa