Straw snubs US hawks on Iran

[kskiska]

JACK STRAW has drawn up a dossier putting the case against a military attack on Iran amid fears that President George W Bush’s administration may seek Britain’s backing for a new conflict.

Straw and his officials fear that hawks in Washington will talk the American president into a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, just as they persuaded him to go to war in Iraq.

The foreign secretary has produced a 200-page dossier that rules out military action and makes the case for a “negotiated solution” to curbing the ayatollahs’ nuclear ambitions amid increasingly bellicose noises from Washington.

(snip)

British officials are increasingly concerned that months of patient European-led diplomacy may explode in a torrent of bunker-busting attacks by US stealth bombers. There is also concern in London that the Pentagon may be ordered to act on the basis of its flawed intelligence, while British agents on the ground believe Iran is complying with nuclear inspectors.

more…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1452781,00.html

[slor]

1. The Brits need to "Go Massive" with this...

shut down the chimp's next war NOW!!!!

[psychopomp]

2. Glad to see our European Iraq-war ally taking a stance on this already

n/t

[McKenzie]

3. if Bliar et al participate in another "liberation" (sic)

they are up shit creek sans paddle and they bloody well know it, hence Strawman's comments. The Lib-Dems are starting to supplant the undead as the official opposition and they could damage Bliar's chances of holding on to marginal seats.

Nothing happens accidentally in the world of politics. This is electioneering methinks.

Just my $0:02.

[MrPrax]

4. The Undead, indeed...

The backbenchs have little in the way of backbone on both sides...most in Labour are quite happy to allow the 'Blair-Brown' party dialogue to take center stage and avoid the any 'moral' stance on foreign policy...and Tories are more than happy to avoid foreign policy debates all together...

Only the Libs and Scots seem to want to discuss issues that the Electorate want to discuss...an US/Israel attack on Iran would be a disaster and BRITAIN will sink to an even lower level in the short to long term vis a vis their neighbours and their own citizens...

Another $0.02

[McKenzie]

5. Yes, we booted every conservative out when Bliar...

was annointed. For a time Scotland didn't have ONE conservative Member in Westminster after Bliar's ascension. I know it's reliving old glories, and all that, but they had to send troops into Glasgow during the Clydeside strikes during WWI. The Brit government was so worried they sent in English troops in case the Scottish regiments mutinied.

Scotland has always been a hotbed of them socialist types. We even have socialist MSP's godammit!

[bin.dare]

6. Lib Dems are OK but don't over wax ...

"The Liberal Democrats are just as guilty as New Labour over their lies concerning the war in Iraq. In the recent by-elections and European Elections the Lib Dems posed as the anti-war party. This could not have been further from the truth.

The Liberal Democrats have a record of opposing the war up until the outbreak of war, when they suddenly supported the war, they continue to support the illegal occupation of Iraq and most recently supported the plan to add fuel to the fire by sending yet more British troops into the hellish nightmare we now have in Iraq.

These actions are hardly actions of an anti-war party. The Liberal Democrats lies are being revealed to the public as a myth as they continue to present themselves as anti-war. We have seen many votes going to the Liberal Democrats because of the war, but the biggest gainer of the anti-war votes has been Respect."

(more about RESPECT)

We stand for:
•An end to the war and occupation in Iraq. We will not join any further imperialist wars.
•An end to all privatisation and the bringing back into democratic public ownership of the railways and other public services.
•An education system that is not dependent on the ability to pay that is comprehensive and gives an equal chance in life to every child no matter how wealthy or poor its parents, from nursery to university.
•A publicly owned and funded democratically controlled NHS, free to all users.
•Pensions that are linked to average earnings.
•Raising the minimum wage to the European Union Decency threshold of £7.40 an hour.
•Tax the rich to fund welfare and to close the growing gap between the poor and the wealthy few.
•The repeal of the Tory anti-union laws.
•Opposition to all forms of discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs (or lack of them), sexual orientation, disabilities, national origin or citizenship.
•The right to self-determination of every individual in relation to their religious (or non-religious) beliefs, as well as sexual choices.
•An end to the destruction of the environment by states and corporations for whom profit is more important than sustaining the natural world on which all life depends.

We want a world in which the democratic demands of the people are carried out; a world based on need not profit; a world where solidarity rather than self-interest is the spirit of the age.

(more)
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:eH9Jr8P6xQYJ:www.respectcoalition.org/pdf/070420_ag_maidenheadnews.pdf+liberal+democrats+war+iraq&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8

[MrPrax]

9. Well Good Luck...

but as they say, 'they have you by the short and skinny'...

Anyway...a cattle call in the UK is coming up and I hope your 'points' are discussed during the campaign season...there was a lively debate during the elections in Canada, the US and Australia among the Left on such topics as

"education system that is not dependent on the ability to pay that is comprehensive and gives an equal chance in life to every child no matter how wealthy or poor its parents, from nursery to university."

"Pensions that are linked to average earnings"

"Opposition to all forms of discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs (or lack of them), sexual orientation, disabilities, national origin or citizenship."

To name a few...

But I wish you luck...
;-)

[hippiechick]

7. Sorry, George wasn't 'talked into' attacking Iraq ...

It was Agenda Item # 1 waaaaaay back in 1999.

[LynnTheDem]

8. "flawed intelligence"? Like the Dodgy Dossier? Niger yellowcake?

"45 minutes"?

BUSH USE FLAWED INTELL???!! NAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

No more than the UK would!

[Guns Aximbo]

10. Poor George

he doesn't have anyone to play with anymore.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. kick

[lebkuchen]

12. 60 years after D-Day and the Chimp ensnares the UK in another war

with the entire Muslim world~.

[AP]

13. In my opinion, this is why it is important that the British are in Iraq.

Would it matter at all if the French or Germans put together this dossier?

The fact that the UK has troops in the region are in involved in the process means that their resistance to American imperialism has at least a little bit of weight.

[w4rma]

16. We likely wouldn't even BE in Iraq without Blair. Enabler.

And if Bush had gone into Iraq without another supporter at least as strong as Blair, Repugs would likely not be in power, anymore, either.

[AP]

17. Doesn't anyone remember Rummy's response to Blair's participation?

Rummy was UPSET.

The US would have preferred the British not to be a part of the operation.

[Solly Mack]

14. Sticky Wicket for Britain

Chucklenuts wasn't too happy with the European troika. He can dismiss Germany and France to the American public and most will nod willingly....but the boy blunder can't so easily dismiss Britain.

Should be interesting



UN powers agree on Iran warning
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3235198.stm


Iran, EU reach nuke agreement
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1617192,00.html

US Calls for Talks between Itself, France, Germany and the UK (after Iran agreement- the European "troika")
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~volgy/CT1119.html

[struggle4progress]

15. ... can't get fooled again. eom