The scars of the Iraq War run deep in Europe. At the time, France, led by President Jacques Chirac, could not countenance supporting an attack on Saddam Hussein, given the weak evidence for either weapons of mass destruction or a link to the horrors of 9/11. When the Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, agreed to back President George W. Bush there was a popular backlash. Tony Blair, the then U.K. leader, still suffers under the “Bliar” tag.
In America, there might be bafflement that European leaders are not fully behind the actions of President Donald Trump and the attack on Iran in alliance with Israel. In war you stick with your allies. A grotesque dictator has been removed. There is a chance—slim maybe—that Iran will see a more positive future.
