Guardian News published this video item, entitled “Islamism is a ‘first-order security threat’ says Tony Blair” – below is their description.
In a speech marking the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the US, Tony Blair insists the terrorist threat remains a first-order issue.
Blair – who was British prime minister at the time of the attack and supported military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan – also said bio-terror possibilities were a real threat and ‘we would be wise now to prepare for their potential use’.
Islamism remains first-order security threat to west, says Tony Blair
Guardian News YouTube Channel
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About This Source - Guardian News
The video item below is a piece of English language content from Guardian News. The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust.
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabakis, Armenians, Mandaeans, Circassians, Sabians and Kawliya. Around 99% of the country’s 38 million citizens are Muslims, with small minorities of Christians, Yarsans, Yezidis and Mandeans also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.
Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km (36 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation.
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Disputes over the sovereignty of Kurdistan Region continue.
Iraq is a founding member of the UN as well as of the Arab League, OIC, Non-Aligned Movement and the IMF.
Tony Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. After his resignation, he was appointed Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, an office which he held until 2015.
In the UK they don’t run for office, they stand. Also, it isn’t as simple as “running for PM” – the way Prime Minister is selected, is it’s the leader of the party which has a parliamentary majority, following a general election…. but even then, the Prime Minister is officially (i.e. in reality) selected by the Queen (monarch) after having been that person… so it would require Blair to:
a) Become a Member of Parliament
b) Become the leader of the Labour Party
c) The Labour Party to win a majority at a General Election either while Blair is leader, or he is made leader while they are in Government
These things achieved, convention dictates the monarch wouldn’t stand in his way. But it must be considered unlikely.
Perhaps Tony Blair might run for a term in office..that would be interesting and perhaps the first time a previous PM would run for another term.
In the UK they don’t run for office, they stand. Also, it isn’t as simple as “running for PM” – the way Prime Minister is selected, is it’s the leader of the party which has a parliamentary majority, following a general election…. but even then, the Prime Minister is officially (i.e. in reality) selected by the Queen (monarch) after having been that person… so it would require Blair to:
a) Become a Member of Parliament
b) Become the leader of the Labour Party
c) The Labour Party to win a majority at a General Election either while Blair is leader, or he is made leader while they are in Government
These things achieved, convention dictates the monarch wouldn’t stand in his way. But it must be considered unlikely.