Editing John Pilger (section)

===Bush, Blair, Howard and wars===
{{primary sources section|date=August 2022}}
In 2003 and 2004, Pilger criticised United States President [[George W. Bush]], saying that he had used the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 terrorist attacks]] as an excuse to [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invade Iraq]] as part of a strategy to increase US control of the world's oil supplies.<ref name="glw120203">{{cite web |last1=Pilger |first1=John |title=John Pilger: Why Bush lies about Iraq |url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/john-pilger-why-bush-lies-about-iraq |website=Green Left |access-date=29 July 2020 |language=en |date=12 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=They put the lie to their own propaganda |url=http://socialistworker.org/2003-2/477/477_05_Pilger.php |website=socialistworker.org |publisher=Socialist Worker |access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref> In 2004, Pilger criticised British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] as equally responsible for the invasion and the bungled [[History of Iraq (2003–2011)|occupation of Iraq]].<ref>John Pilger, [http://www.johnpilger.com/articles/iraq-the-unthinkable-becomes-normal "Iraq: the unthinkable becomes normal"], johnpilger.com, 15 November 2004.</ref> In 2004, as the Iraq insurgency increased, Pilger wrote that the anti-war movement should support "Iraq's anti-occupation resistance:
<blockquote>We cannot afford to be choosy. While we abhor and condemn the continuing loss of innocent life in Iraq, we have no choice now but to support the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|resistance]], for if the resistance fails, the "Bush gang" will attack another country".<ref>Pip Hinman & John Pilger, [http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/30650 "Pilger interview: Truth and lies in the 'war on terror'"], ''Green Left'' (Australia), 28 January 2004.</ref></blockquote>

Pilger described Australian Prime Minister [[John Howard]] as "the mouse that roars for America, whipping his country into war fever and paranoia about terrorism within". He thought Howard's willingness to "join the Bush/Blair assault on Iraq ... evok[ed] a melancholy history of obsequious service to great power: from the [[Boxer Rebellion]] to the [[Boer War|Boer war]], to the [[Gallipoli campaign|disaster at Gallipoli]], and [[Korean War|Korea]], [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] and the [[Gulf War|Gulf]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pilger |first1=John |title=George Bush's other poodle |url=http://johnpilger.com/articles/george-bushs-other-poodle |website=johnpilger.com |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=20 January 2003}}</ref>

On 25 July 2005, Pilger ascribed blame for the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|2005 London bombings]] that month to Blair. He wrote that Blair's decision to follow Bush helped to generate the rage that Pilger said precipitated the bombings.<ref>John Pilger, [http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=369 "Blair's bombs"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929023032/http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=369 |date=29 September 2007 }}, John Pilger website, 25 July 2005.</ref>

In his column a year later, Pilger described Blair as a [[war criminal]] for supporting Israel's actions during the [[2006 Lebanon War|2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict]]. He said that Blair gave permission to Israeli Prime Minister [[Ariel Sharon]] in 2001 to initiate what would ultimately become [[Operation Defensive Shield]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=406|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101054246/http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=406|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 November 2006|title=ITV - John Pilger - The real threat we face in Britain is Blair|date=1 November 2006|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>

In 2014, Pilger wrote that "The truth about the criminal bloodbath in Iraq cannot be "countered" indefinitely. Neither can the truth about our support for the medievalists in [[Saudi Arabia]], the nuclear-armed predators in Israel, the new military fascists in [[Egypt]] and the jihadist "liberators" of Syria, whose propaganda is now BBC news".<ref>{{cite news |title=The truth about the criminal bloodbath in Iraq can't be 'countered' indefinitely |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/07/west-criminal-bloodbath-iraq-media-cover-up |work=The Guardian |date=7 February 2014}}</ref>