Britain rejects US request to use UK bases in nuclear standoff with Iran

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) Britain has rebuffed US pleas to use military bases in the UK to support the build-up of forces in the Gulf, citing secret legal advice which states that any pre-emptive strike on Iran could be in breach of international law.

The Guardian has been told that US diplomats have also lobbied for the use of British bases in Cyprus, and for permission to fly from US bases on Ascension Island in the Atlantic and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, both of which are British territories.

The US approaches are part of contingency planning over the nuclear standoff with Tehran, but British ministers have so far reacted coolly. They have pointed US officials to legal advice drafted by the attorney general's office which has been circulated to Downing Street, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.

This makes clear that Iran, which has consistently denied it has plans to develop a nuclear weapon, does not currently represent "a clear and present threat". Providing assistance to forces that could be involved in a pre-emptive strike would be a clear breach of international law, it states. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/25/uk-reject-us-request-bases-iran

[Rider3]

1. I would, too.

Who could blame them?

[joeybee12]

2. Where's lapdog Tony Blair when you need him?

Actually, good...glad to see we're getting pushback on this.

[cthulu2016]

3. The UK is our number one geopolitical threat

[leveymg]

4. So much for the claim that we have the support of the whole world on Iran.

Aside from a more deliberative approach, in essence is this really any different from the buildup to the attack on Iraq?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Good.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Diego Garcia would be the key base, I'd think

since planes can fly to Iran from there just over the ocean. I was under the impression that Britain didn't have any effective control over it after it let the USA build its base there. Or maybe that was just the way Blair treated things. The article says permission for UK base use has been refused, but isn't clear about Diego Garcia.