Winston Churchill is considered by many to have been a great British PM. His leadership inspired the citizens of the UK through the early years of WWII when the US government preferred not to go to war against Hitler's Nazis. He undoubtedly made some truly remarkable speaches throughout the war. There are other parts of Churchill's life which are less well celebrated however. The current war in Iraq has brought to prominence a chapter in his history which many would rather forget.
"Churchill was particularly keen on chemical weapons, suggesting they be used "against recalcitrant Arabs as an experiment" ".
Source: Our last occupation
Guardian 19:04:2003
Nevertheless I can't help wishing that he was still in the House of Commons to repeat to Mr Blair the following:
"The power of the executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to law, and particularly to deny him the judgement of his peers, is in the highest degree odious, and the foundation of all totalitarian government, whether Nazi or Communist."
Winston Churchill, cited by Noam Chomsky, Hegemony or Survival, p27.
My Labour MP, Anne Begg voted against the ammendment to limit the power of the Home Secretary to impose control orders on terrorist suspects. I have emailed her to express my disappointment. I hope to recieve an answer as to why she believes these government proposals are necessary. I'll try to read her response with an open mind.
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