Minister condemns Israeli action (UK Foreign Office)

[IndianaGreen]

Explain to me why is Tony Blair opposed to a cease fire after his own envoy to Beirut says that "Israel had not carried out surgical strikes."

Minister condemns Israeli action

Last Updated: Saturday, 22 July 2006, 21:19 GMT 22:19 UK

Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has criticised Israel's bombardment of Lebanon, while on a visit to Beirut.

He said Israel had not carried out "surgical strikes" and attacking the Lebanese nation was not the answer.

<snip>

Speaking in Beirut, Mr Howells said: "I very much hope that the Americans understand what's happening to Lebanon.

"The destruction of the infrastructure, the death of so many children and so many people. These have not been surgical strikes.

"And it's very difficult, I think, to understand the kind of military tactics that have been used.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5205658.stm

[DYouth]

1. The Brits have more humanity than us

they are starting to resign from their long reign as imperial power of the world, and maybe one day we'll be in that same spot, trying to resign another superpower we were buddying up to.

[Missy M]

2. Because Kim Howells is not Bush's poodle.

[whistle]

3. Same reason Tony Blair backed Bush on invading Iraq....

....even though he knew all of the reasons for invading Iraq that Bush presented were in fact false, he is part of the neocon network and as such wants war!

[54anickel]

4. That depends on your definition of surgical strikes. The Bush Poodle

definition uses Iraq as the example...that's been nothing but surgical strikes. From the opening Shock and Awe salvos through Fallujah and beyond. :puke:

[wtmusic]

5. Mm-hmm. Surgery with a chainsaw. nt

[IndianaGreen]

6. Israel fires back and scores a debating point

But Lt Colonel Yishou Efroni, of the Israeli Army, defended its tactics saying: "We told them to leave the towns and villages. We gave them notice of when we were going to attack.

"No army in the world is doing that. I didn't see the British or Americans doing that in Iraq warning the people to leave and then bombing."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5205658.stm

Ouch!

Translation: You want to talk proportionality? We are killing less civilians than the Americans are in Iraq.

[izzie]

7. Then why are things with red crosses taken out?

In father Bush's war they were always yelling about smart bombs and then after the war the figures came out. Like all bombs they kill or hurt or tear down every thing they hit. From both sides. That you have more and F-15 to deliver them just means one side is a little better at killing people or wiping out buildings.

[daleo]

10. It's like a morality debate between Jack the Ripper and Boston Strangler

Both are killing civilians by the hundreds or more, but they compare bloody hands.

[BillZBubb]

11. Israel fires back and falls flat on its face.

"We told them to leave the villages and towns...".

What a crock. They know most people won't leave for a variety of legitimate reasons: too old, too young, too poor, nowhere to go, no transportation, pets they can't leave, etc. etc. (Just like the poor here in Katrina).

The Israeli propaganda is so pathetic and transparent. Only dimwits buy it now.

[Chulanowa]

13. "We told them to get out!", he said in a press release

he continued further by adding, "Is it OUR fault that all the road ways have impassable craters and wreckage blocking them?"

[fedsron2us]

8. Howells and Beckett seem to be going 'native' at the Foreign office

It is no secret that the civil servants at that department have watched the unravelling of the situation in the Middle East with horror. Behind the scenes they fought a desperate rear guard action to try to dissuade the Blair government from supporting Bush's invasion of Iraq. Indeed, their chief legal officer resigned over the issue because she felt the attack violated international law. Now they can see that the whole region might go up in flames. Obviously, their trepidations are starting to get through to the new ministers in charge of the department just as they did with their predecessor, Jack Straw. I expect Bush and Cheney will now start leaning on Blair for yet another Cabinet reshuffle.

[IndianaGreen]

9. Margaret Beckett is a loyal Blairite

but then, so was Jack Straw and he got canned.

Tony Blair has done tremendous damage to the UK and the Labour Party.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Because the envoy opposes a ceasefire too

He seems to be a master of doublethink - immediately after saying the Israeli attacks are not the answer, he says:

Mr Howells said attempts were being made to engage with parties, but a demand for an immediate ceasefire would be a "meaningless gesture".

Why he thinks a ceasefire is meaningless, when it would stop that "destruction of the infrastructure, the death of so many children and so many people", I can't tell. There's no logic to what he says.

[fedsron2us]

14. Like the White Queen

New Labour ministers like to think of two impossible things before breakfast. No wonder everyone was taking the piss out of Blair at the G8 summit. The UK is simply a laughing stock in international affairs. Both its allies and its enemies regard it as a complete joke.

[Zhade]

15. Actually, my impression was that he's saying the demand is meaningless...

...because Olmert isn't going to listen.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. But he pours such scorn on people calling for a ceasefire

which includes Kofi Annan, and the rest of the EU. If you haven't heard it, here's his Radio 4 Today interview from Saturday morning (he's the second half of the 12 minute clip). It's not that calling for an immediate ceasefire is the end of the matter - but we could call for it, and do the work for a longer term peace agreement. Refusing to do the simple thing of saying there ought to be a ceasefire at once just gives Israel and Hizbollah more excuses to carry on.

The one reason he gives for not having an immediate ceasefire is that it would allow Hizbollah to rearm (of course, Israel is rearming with American help while this goes on, because none of their military bases are under threat - it's only their civilians). And that makes me think the ultimate British government line on this is support for Israel. He never stops to consider that scores of innocent people get killed each day the carnage goes on.

[Zhade]

17. Salient points.

NT!