Wouldn’t it have been nice to be at the launch of his book about the invasion of Iraq? Never managed to read it, but listened to him expounding on his favourite subject in an interview with Margaret Throsby on ABC Classic FM. At some point they got round to talking about his book rather than his self. ‘Were there any weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq?’, she asked. ‘Of course not’ was the answer. That was it. ‘Of course not’, an argument carried across the line by sheer force of personality.
Surely there was a bit more to the book? It would have made for a quick read if that was all there had been to it, but i could never bring myself to look at it. The usual wearines that comes with the mention of his name or thoughts of him take the wind out of my sails. But there is the scene at the Book Launch, as imagined many years later:

There would have been a talk of the ‘How great I am’ variety which could have lasted for quite some time and eventually the audience might have been permitted to ask questions of the author.

‘Excellency, with your kind permission can the question be asked as to what extent this book is autobiographical? You do after all know what it is to invade a home on the mistaken assumption that the 11 year old boy who mimicked you lives there. You barge in with all guns blazing. You tell the man to discipline his children because you have just heard one of them mimicking you. You warn him that should this situation escalate, you have it in your power to make life difficult for him and his family. Job done. You withdraw. But not without slamming his front door and his front gate behind you.

In this case you are telling us that the Invasion of Iraq was carried out on a false pretext. In your own case did you make the home invasion fully knowing that the pretext was false?’

Is that what happened? Did he actually know that it had not been my son he heard but saw this as an opportunity to establish his power over his neighbours and make damn sure that they would know their place?