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LONDON， July 6 (Xinhua) -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair said he will ""take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse"" over the Iraq war， after the publication of a long-awaited inquiry into the war on Wednesday.
Speaking before the publication of the report， the chairman of the inquiry John Chilcot said Britain went to war before all peaceful options had been exhausted.
He also said that the legal basis for British military action in Iraq was ""far from satisfactory，"" stressing that British policy on Iraq was made on the basis of ""flawed intelligence and assessments.""
In the report， finally published seven years after the inquiry began and 13 years after British and U.S. troops invaded Iraq， Chilcot concluded that Britain's military role in Iraq went ""badly wrong"" and ""ended a long way from success.""
He noted that Blair was warned that military action in Iraq would increase the threat of al Qaeda to Britain， but war risks were not ""properly identified.""
In March 2003， there was ""no imminent threat"" from Saddam Hussein， according to Chilcot.
In response to the publication of the report， Blair said ""the report does make real and material criticisms of preparation， planning， process and of the relationship with the United States.""
""These are serious criticisms and they require serious answers，"" he said in a statement.
He also announced that he will respond in detail to the criticisms later on Wednesday.
""I will at the same time say why， nonetheless， I believe that it was better to remove Saddam Hussein and why I do not believe this is the cause of the terrorism we see today whether in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world，"" he added.
However， Blair defended his ""good faith"" in his decisions to go to war in Iraq.
""The report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith， lies or deceit. Whether people agree or disagree with my decision to take military action against Saddam Hussein， I took it in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country，"" he said.
Blair said that in the report there was no falsification or improper use of intelligence， no deception of Cabinet， and no secret commitment to war whether at Crawford Texas in April 2002 or elsewhere.
""The inquiry does not make a finding on the legal basis for military action but finds that the Attorney General had concluded there was such a lawful basis by March 13， 2003，"" he explained.
Blair paid tribute to British Armed Forces， saying: ""I will express my profound regret at the loss of life and the grief it has caused the families， and I will set out the lessons I believe future leaders can learn from my experience.""
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By Le Yanna Ben Gedeon Vikings Jersey , Bui Long
HANOI, May 29 (Xinhua) -- "Anyone want to sell their long hair?" came a sweet feminine voice creeping through a summer noon in the outskirts of Vietnam's Hanoi capital city.
The voice was not coming from the mouth of any woman or man, however, but from a small loud speaker attached to an old motorbike ridden by a middle-aged woman in the rural district of Thanh Tri.
"Buying human hair is my bread and butter," the woman, who identified herself as Nguyen Thi Thuy Dalvin Cook Vikings Jersey , 50, from the northern Bac Ninh province, told Xinhua in late May, while pointing her sunburnt hand to a small set of blue scales, and a pair of black scissors. The scissors are used to cut the hair of customers, and the scales are to weigh the hair Anthony Barr Vikings Jersey , she explained.
"I can buy a bundle of long hair at prices of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese dong (tens of U.S. dollars) depending on its length and quality," Thuy said in a husky voice, noting that medium-length hair measuring 20-50 centimeters is most common, and "rivers of hair", measuring around one meter, is extremely rare.
A decade ago Everson Griffen Vikings Jersey , Thuy cycled along alleyways and through villages to seek customers, shouting with all her might: "Anyone want to sell their long hair?"
"Thanks to this odd occupation, my husband and I have managed to turn our brick house into a three-story building, and can afford two motorbikes," she said with a hint of pride twinkling in her eyes.
The motorbike helps Thuy go faster, and the loud speaker Kyle Rudolph Vikings Jersey , using a pre-recorded voice from one of her villagers, saves her from wearily saying the same sentence all day.
"This year, traders offer higher prices for the longer hair we collect, and they buy bigger volumes. But long hair is becoming scarcer and scarcer, so I have to go further into remote villages in Hanoi and its neighboring provinces. My husband even has to go to northern mountainous areas," Thuy said.
Long hair is selling like hot cakes because of thinner supply and bigger demand Linval Joseph Vikings Jersey , the woman stated, noting that she often sells the hair to a millionaire, director of a trading company, in Bac Ninh, who supplies hair to beauty salons all over Vietnam and exports the product to several countries.
In olden times, like in other Asian countries Harrison Smith Vikings Jersey , all Vietnamese females had very long hair that they lovingly cared for. Some women had hair that cascaded all the way to their heels. Today, few grow their hair that long, but there is something of a fetish for long hair, and it is still highly-prized among Vietnamese men, as it denotes a soft, feminine beauty.
While traditional long tresses may be a thing of the past Kirk Cousins Vikings Jersey , women today are keenly experimenting with new, more modern hairstyles and rather than waiting a couple of years, sometimes opt for extensions. However, for every woman, actress, model Adam Thielen Vikings Jersey , office clerk or student, that proudly flicks her long tresses, a story of poverty or domestic violence often lies behind the scenes.
Selling their hair is not an easy decision for some to come to. According to Thuy, there are women who agree to sell their hair at first, but snatch it back at the last minute. Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Shirts Cheap Soccer Hoodies Cheap NFL Shirts Cheap Football Hats Wholesale NBA Hoodies Wholesale NHL Hats
