"Prediction is difficult and dangerous, but I fear that the situation could end in tragedy for the American and British Governments. Suez and Vietnam are not far from the mids of anyone with a sense of history. I recall what happened to Sir Anthony Eden. I heard him announce the ceasefire and saw him go on holiday to Goldeneye in Jamaica. He came back to be replaced. I am not saying that that will happen in this case, but does anyone think that the House is in a position to piggy-back on American power in the Middle East? What happens if Iraq breaks up? If the Kurds are free, they will demand Kurdistan and destabilise Turkey. Anything could happen. We are sitting here as if we still had an empire - only, fortunately, we have a bigger brother with more weapons than us."
Tony Benn, 1998, speech in House of Commons as UK Govt prepared to join US in bombing Iraq
From The Penguin Book of Twentieth Century Protest