TONY Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq, "couldn't have been easier", according to his former spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
Campbell's diaries, published this week, reveal a prime minister 'giddy with excitement' at the prospect of a full-scale invasion and describe how Blair used innovative tactics to win over Labour colleagues.
His entry for 1 February, 2003 reads: "Did a number on Charles Clarke (former education secretary) today. He comes in saying he's not happy about Iraq.
"Tony talks him through the WMDs and the fact that Saddam's a shit. Clarke's still not keen, so Tony just stares at him for a full minute and then starts pounding the desk and chanting 'war, war, war'.
"Clarke tries to look away so Tony climbs on top of the desk and starts punching the air shouting 'war! war! war!'. Before you know it Clarke's on his feet, hands up, screaming 'war! war! war!' in unison with the PM."
According to Campbell, Clarke left the the room in a 'euphoric state' saying he wanted to 'remove Saddam's gonads with a cheese knife'.
Campbell also reveals that when Jack Straw, then foreign secretary, raised concerns about the post-invasion strategy, he and Blair would try and drown him out by saying "queer" while pretending to cough at the same time.
Meanwhile the former spin doctor said removing references to Gordon Brown was 'relatively straightforward'.
"I just did a 'find and replace' on the words 'psycho' and 'bastard'."
