Tony Blair's knighthood sparks outrage in the UK
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More than 100,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for the rescinding of Tony Blair's new knighthood.
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Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
An online petition on change.org, which has so far been signed by more than 110,000 people, is calling for Tony Blair to have his recent knighthood rescinded.
Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth has appointed Tony Blair as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry.
However, the decision sparked outrage in the UK, as many called for the prosecution of Tony Blair for war crimes for his role in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
A man named Angus Scott launched the petition shortly after news of the award was published, writing: "Tony Blair caused irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation's society. He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. For this alone he should be held accountable for war crimes."
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The petition is setting up to be one of the most signed on change.org, reaching over 110,000 signatures a mere day after it was launched.
Blair has faced scathing criticism over his direct role in the Iraq war. A report was published in 2016 by the chairman of the "Iraq Inquiry", John Chilcot, whose mission was to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2003 war. The report found that Blair overplayed evidence about WMDs in Iraq and ignored peaceful means to send troops into the country.
Despite the millions of victims Blair's military adventurism produced, the former PM currently works as an international advisor to an Emirati organization called the Mubadala Development Fund, which aims at mining $1 trillion worth of resources in Afghanistan. He is paid around £1 million ($1,3 million) annually.
The former Prime Minister has also been mentioned in the Pandora Papers, which suggest that he evaded $420,000 in taxes.
