(13 Dec 2009) SHOTLIST
AP Television
Baghdad, 13 December 2009
1. Wide of traffic
2. Men reading newspapers in street
3. Newspapers on display
4. Close up of newspapers with headline reading (Arabic): ''(Former British Prime Minister Tony) Blair said: I wanted to topple Saddam (Hussein)even if there were no weapons of mass destruction''
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox pop, Mohammed Jabar, local resident:
''Frankly speaking, the former (British) Prime Minister Tony Blair basically aimed at toppling the former regime (of Saddam Hussein in Iraq), paying no heed to the interests of Iraqis, Arabs and even the Britons themselves. I think the goal behind his invasion of Iraq is personal objectives and I don't know such aims were deliberated or not. The Iraqi people are the victim of such goals.''
6. Wide of traffic
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox pop, Abdul-Sada Tahir, local resident:
''This is a clear-cut evidence, he (former British Prime Minister Tony Blair) aimed to target Iraq, Arabs and Muslims. This man lied to his people, the Arab people and Iraqis in particular and he destroyed the country's infrastructure.''
8. Wide of traffic
AP Television
FILE: Basra, 2007 (exact date unknown)
9. Various of British troops deployment in Basra, south of Baghdad
STORYLINE
Iraqis reacted on Sunday to Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's interview where he said he believed it would have been right to invade Iraq even if it was known that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction.
In a BBC interview broadcast on Saturday, Blair said he would have found other arguments to justify the US-led invasion.
He said it was right to remove Saddam from power because he was a major threat to the Middle East region at the time.
On Sunday, Blair's defence of the invasion featured in Baghdad newspapers.
One local resident accused Blair of destroying Iraq's infrastructure and lying to "his people, the Arab people and Iraqis in particular".
Other man said the people of Iraq were "victims" of Blair's "personal objectives".
The former prime minister had advanced similar arguments since the invasion force found no weapons of mass destruction, which had been the
leading justification for military action.
Britain is holding an exhaustive inquiry investigating the Iraq war, and Blair was due to give evidence in January.
The inquiry, which has been hearing evidence from former key military officials, diplomats and spy agency chiefs, won't apportion blame or establish criminal or civil liability.
It was expected to give recommendations by late 2010 on how to prevent mistakes from being repeated in the future.
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