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Skriven 2004-08-22 04:38:02 av Stephen Hayes (5:7106/20.0)
Ärende: Chris_Soc: Blair's correspondence about a dead soldier
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* Forwarded (from: CHRIS_SOC) by Stephen Hayes using timEd/2 1.10.y2k.
* Originally from family.chris_soc@family-bbs.net (8:8/2) to All.
* Original dated: Sat Aug 21, 09:33

From: family.chris_soc@family-bbs.net (Chris_Soc)
To: chris_soc3@fmlynet.org
Reply-To: family.chris_soc@family-bbs.net

From: "Steve Hayes" <khanyab@lantic.net>

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=553319

A war of words: dead soldier's sister tells PM, 'You don't care'

Letter from soldier's sister to Tony Blair

Tony Blair's letter to soldier's mother

INDEPENDENT (LONDON) 20 August 2004

Here is a copy of the letter sent to the Prime Minister by Maxine Gentle, the
sister of soldier Gordon who died in Iraq.

To Prime Minister Tony Blair,

My name is Maxine Gentle and I am 14 years old. I am the sister of Fusilier
Gordon Gentle who died in the war in Iraq on the 28th June 2004. I want my
thoughts and feelings to be heard and known.

My feelings are that I think you are rubbish at your job. You don't care about
the British public, armed forces or anyone in fact.

My big brother died at the age of 19, and what for? A war over oil and money,
that's what I think the war is all about. There was no such thing as weapons of
"mass destruction", if there were Saddam Hussein would have used them at the
start of the war.

I think that you should withdraw all of our soldiers from Iraq. After all, it
is not our war, it's America's. So why did we, the British, have to get
involved? I think that you just don't want to get on the wrong side of George
Bush.

My big brother meant the world to me. I looked up to him with pride because he
made something of himself. He was well known, just like you, but everyone liked
and loved him, not like you, because I have no respect for you, and nor do a
lot of other people I know.

Gordon had only passed out in April, and yet by May YOU sent him and many
others to a war zone.

What I find strange is that in order to be a qualified plumber or electrician
you need to train for 3 or 4 years, but to be a qualified soldier, and learn to
KILL someone, you only need to train for SIX MONTHS! The people that you have
sent out there are still young; they have the rest of their lives to live, just
like Gordon did.

My family is still hurting badly and so am I. To you he was just another number
clown. From the minute that we found out Gordon was going over there we were
all worried about him, right up until the minute we found out it was Gordon
that was killed by the Iraqis.

We are all hurting badly, but I don't just blame Gordon's death on the Iraqis
that made the roadside bomb, I blame YOU as well because it is your fault that
our soldiers are over there in the first place, by agreeing with George Bush
that we HAD to go to war, when we didn't!

As I said everyone is hurting badly right now, but you would not know that
because your sons are all tucked up nicely in bed at night, at the same time as
there are mums and dads who still have sons over there, who can't sleep at
night, wondering if their loved ones are coming home or are they going to be
the next ones to be killed.

You would not know how we all feel, because you're at home at night with your
wife and son watching them growing up, but we will never know what Gordon would
have been like in years to come.

It is okay for you sitting there with all your money and power, ruining
people's lives by the decisions YOU make. I don't care who knows how I feel
about you. All you care about is things that benefit you. All you and your new
"best Friend" George Bush care about is Iraq's oil.

My big brother died in the early hours of the morning, and yet, when you and
George Bush went on live TV in the afternoon to hand the country back over, you
both stood there that afternoon smiling and acting like one big happy family
when you both knew well that a British soldier had died that morning.

Nothing you can do or say will change my mind, or the fact that I am hurting
badly inside. I cry myself to sleep most of the time because Gordon has gone
and is never coming back.

Quite frankly I would have loved to meet you myself and tell you all this
personally. But if I met you I would not shake your hand. This is my personal
feelings towards you and George Bush, but I have less respect for you than him
because YOU are the British Prime Minister, well supposed to be, and I am
British, although sometimes I am ashamed to admit to being British when I have
got such a bad prime minister as you.

I hope you have pleasure reading this as I have had pleasure writing it.

Yours Sincerely
Maxine Gentle

=================

TONY BLAIR'S LETTER TO ROSE GENTLE

20 August 2004

Here is a copy of the full letter Prime Minister Tony Blair sent to Rose
Gentle, the mother of soldier Gordon who died in Iraq:

Dear Mrs Gentle,

I am sorry I have not written to you before about Gordon. I was uncertain,
having read your comments in the newspapers, whether you would resent my
writing to you.

I offer you my deepest condolences on his death. But I would like you to know
that I believe what Gordon and his fellow soldiers are doing out in Iraq is
vital not just for the change necessary in that country but vital for the
security and stability of this country, Britain and of the wider world.

I understand you may not agree with this, but you should know at least that I
hold this belief sincerely.

It is a heavy responsibility to send young soldiers into war and I can assure I
did not take the decision lightly. But I believe that had we allowed Saddam to
remain in power, the consequences would have been appalling and dangerous far
beyond the frontiers of Iraq.

I would like to pay tribute to Gordon's courage, dedication and
professionalism. By all accounts, he was a fine soldier. I know you will be
very proud of him and so is his country in whose service he gave his life.

You and Mr Gentle are in my thoughts and prayers,

Yours sincerely

Tony Blair.

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