Letters to the Editor | 3 February 2007

Arrogant, not brave

From Jolyon Connell

Sir: Michael Gove is heartened by the left-wing writers who have denounced Islamic terrorism rather than seeking to make excuses for it (‘All hail the new anti-Islamist intelligentsia’, 27 January). Fair enough. But he also seems pleased that such a number of them backed the Iraq war. He calls these writers brave.

Brave is not the word I’d use. Invading Iraq was always likely to appeal to left-wing intellectuals. Its most fervent supporters were the American neocons, many of whom, after all, were one-time left-wing Democrats. The idea of creating a new promised land in the Middle East was arrogant, naive, impractical and almost certain to be counter-productive â” the hallmarks of many a failed socialist enterprise.

Which is why, as opinion polls suggested before the war began, more Conservative voters than Labour voters opposed it, as of course did most thoughtful conservative politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.