'I'll be back for Tony Blair, to see him face to face and hear what he has to say'

Published on Tuesday 24 November 2009 21:50

MORE than six and a half years after Tony Blair defied opposition at home and abroad to invade Iraq, feelings are still raw among those who campaigned against the war or lost loved ones in the fighting.

By the time Britain halted combat operations in April, 179 UK personnel were dead and many more had been injured.

A small number of protesters demonstrated outside the inquiry at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, just across the road from the Houses of Parliament.

Three of them wore face masks of George Bush, Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, their hands covered in fake blood and clutching dollar bills.

But after so many years and so much debate, there was only limited interest in the inquiry yesterday.

By the time the hearing started at 10am, only 36 of the 60 seats set aside for the public had been taken, and there were even more empty chairs for the afternoon session.

Among those watching was Pauline Graham, 70, from Glasgow, whose grandson, Gordon Gentle, 19, was killed in Basra in June 2004.

She attended with her daughter, Rose Gentle, who has been a vocal opponent of the government's policy in Iraq since her son's death.

Mrs Graham said: "Five years we've waited for this, and finally we're getting somewhere.

"I think it went very well but there are a lot of questions to be answered. It all boils down to 9/11."

Mrs Graham plans to return when the inquiry hears evidence from Mr Blair in the new year.

"That's the main one – just to see that man sitting there face to face, and see what he's going to come out with," she said.