Blair reflects on Iraq war 'every day'

[John]

This Easter, the former Prime Minister has spoken of his religious faith being a "comfort" to him at all times.

Mr Blair has denied that his foreign policy had helped recruit terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and described acts of terrorism as "utterly evil".

He told BBC Radio 3's Belief programme his decision to go to war in Iraq had not been taken lightly.

He said: "I do not pass a single day in which I do not reflect on this and think of the responsibility.

"I think these decisions are the most difficult you ever take, and you cannot and should not take them incidentally because you believe that you have some religious conviction that's superior to anyone else."

The consequences of action were "serious" but so were the results of inaction, he said.

Mr Blair, now Middle East Quartet envoy, denied that Britain had "provoked" terrorism with conflicts abroad.

On Afghanistan, he said: "The people from those groups that back the Taliban that then go in and plant a car bomb - how are we provoking them to do that?

"That's what has to be challenged, and actually one of the reasons why we will not defeat this, in my view, until we start challenging this position within Islam and outside of Islam, is because there is no reason why they should do that."

Mr Blair, who converted to Roman Catholicism after leaving Downing Street in 2007, said his religious faith is a "comfort to me all the time".

He said: "In the end you accept there is a higher power than yourself and that is both something that should make you fearful, but something that also is a source of comfort."

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks.