Attempt to prosecute Blair over Iraq fails in London High Court

FILE PHOTO: Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair attends a meeting of the European People's Party in Wicklow, Ireland, May 12, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - A British court on Monday rejected an attempt by a former Iraqi general to bring a private prosecution against former Prime Minister Tony Blair over the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Blair's decision to join the U.S.-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein has tainted the legacy of his 10 years in office, and his critics in Britain and Iraq have been calling for him to face criminal action for years.