Dearlove said there was controversy over Blair's 2000 trip to Moscow to watch War and Peace opera with Putin.
“ [ 177 ] In 2000, Blair went on a trip to Moscow to watch a performance of the War and Peace opera with Vladimir Putin , while he was the acting president of Russia . This meeting was criticised by groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International . [ 179 ] In 2018, Sir Richard Dearlove , former head of MI6, said there was ”
Blair conceded he should have challenged intelligence reports before using them to justify military action in Iraq, the day after a report involving Dearlove was published.
“. [ 11 ] The day after the report was published, Blair conceded that he should have challenged such intelligence reports before relying on them to justify military action in Iraq. [ 12 ] Dearlove was elected Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge , on 1 August 2004. [ 6 ] He accepted an invitation to become the Chairman of Trustees of the Cambridge Union Society in 2006. [ 3 ] As Master of Pembroke , Dearlove was ex officio chairman of the board of Trustees of Pembroke House, a community centre in Walworth , London , via the college's patronage of the advowson of St Christopher's, Walworth ( CofE ). [ 13 ] [ 14 ] As of 2017 [ update ] , he is still the President of Pembroke College Boat Club (Cambridge) . [ 15 ] In February 2008, Dearlove gave evidence at the inquest of Princess Diana 's death, responding to Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed who said that MI6 had murdered Diana. [ 6 ] Dearlove is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society principles. [ 16 ] He is also a ”
Dearlove advised Blair not to dissolve Iraqi army and Ba'ath structures but Blair did not follow advice.
“And my advice to Blair, which he didn't follow, because I'm not a policy guy, but I said, look, what we should have because bits of the Iraqi army were not particularly contaminated by Saddam Hussein.”
Dearlove reveals he advised Blair not to dissolve Iraqi military structures but was not followed.
“my advice to Blair, which he didn't follow, because I'm not a policy guy, but I said, look, what we should have because bits of the Iraqi army were not particularly contaminated by Saddam Hussein.”
Dearlove reveals he urged Blair to form a military council in Iraq instead of disbanding the army.
“the huge mistake that Brammer made in Iraq on which we were not consulted, I was chief at the time, was to disband the Iraqi military.”
Dearlove recounts recent conversation with senior American general confirming his Iraq military council advice.
“I mean, I was urging the Blair government to form a military council. And actually talking to an American general recently who was part of that group, who was in a very senior position,”