UK's Jack Straw isn't pretending he doesn't see the slaughtered Lebanese

[bigtree]

like Bush's poodle Blair . . .


Straw leads revolt against Blair over Israel crisis

By Patrick Hennessy in San Francisco
(Filed: 30/07/2006)

Mr Straw heaped pressure on the Prime Minister by describing Israeli attacks on Lebanon as "disproportionate" and accusing Israel of escalating an already dangerous situation.

Mr Straw, demoted to Commons Leader by Mr Blair, sent out by far the strongest condemnation of Israel. In a statement to Muslim leaders in his Blackburn constituency this weekend, he said: "Disproportionate action only escalates an already dangerous situation.

"One of many serious concerns I have is that the continuation of such tactics by the Israelis could further destabilise the already fragile Lebanese nation."

He acknowledged the right of the Israelis to defend themselves against terrorists and expressed sympathy for Israeli victims of the conflict - but also for the "10 times as many" Lebanese civilians killed or injured.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/30/wmid30.xml

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/153453784?-16529

[babylonsister]

1. Straw is joining all the other voices of dissent in the UK; good for

him! :thumbsup:

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Somethings is wrong when more babies are killed than grown men,

that's for sure. It makes the argument of self defense very hollow

[Skidmore]

3. His support of Blair and the * Doctrine have contributed

to the current state of instability in the world. It would be nice to see one of these wardrummers step forward and actually apologize for their actions and contributions.

[partylessinOhio]

4. Well said, I agree with you!

[malaise]

5. Straw walked out of the Cabinet

over Iraq.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. No, that was Robin Cook

But Straw seems to be following in his footsteps. Cook was Blair's first Foreign Secretary, but did seem to think Britain ought to have an 'ethical' foreign policy - so Blair demoted him to Leader of the Commons (still in the Cabinet) in June 2001, replacing him with Straw. Cook resigned from the Cabinet just before the Iraq invasion, saying he didn't think Iraq had any WMD, and so the invasion was wrong. Straw remained Foreign Secretary all through the Iraq invasion, supporting Blair. But when Blair and Bush started trash-talking Iran, Straw said attacking it was 'unthinkable'. So Blair demoted Straw to Leader of the Commons earlier this year, and replaced him with Margaret Beckett as Foreign Secretary (who so far has done or said more or less nothing about Lebanon).

[JI7]

9. sadly Robin Cook passed away also

Straw has been one of Blair's biggest supporters. so if it's true that he is dissenting , it's pretty significant. but we will have to see what and whether he takes any action on this.

[malaise]

10. My bad

he walked out over differences re Iran.

[cal04]

6. Watch your Back (Straw)

"For some time now, there has been an expectation that Jack Straw would fall victim to conduct similar to that used to deal with Robin Cook," writes the paper's insightful international affairs analyst, Dr Mohammed Hasan Sheykholeslam. "Everyone knows Cook's star started to fade when he expressed stances that were independent of the British prime minister. This was met first with detachment; then with poses of displeasure; then open warnings; then dismissal; and, finally, with Cook's suspicious death." The words "snort" and "disbelief" may, of course, spring instantly to mind. Alternatively, you may care to recall that Robin Cook, an opponent of military intervention in Iraq, ended up leader of the Commons - a post now occupied, by extraordinary coincidence, by Mr Straw, an opponent of military intervention in Iran. Jack: watch your back.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/diary/story/0,,1770464,00.html

[Lucy - Claire]

11. Cook's suspicious death??

The man had a massive heart attack whilst on a hill walking holiday. Unless you think his wife dragged him unwillingly in the the Highlands on the off chance that he may collapse and die miles from any help and rescue services. Or someone was lurking in the heather with a gun and a silencer, there is nothing suspicious about Robin Cook's death.
He wasn't in a plane crash,car crash, he wasn't killed by a car bomb and he didn't commit suicide.

As for Jack Straw he is well known to have worked very hard to established strong relations with Iran, he was vocal in his opposition to bomnbing Iran,which has little support here anyway. It would be political sucide for Tony Blair to go in that direction. Gordon Brown may be on Paternity leave but when the Labour Conference comes in September the knives will be out, if Blair plays poodle once too often.
As for the Israel/Lebanon, Jack Straw, a Jewish man is expressing what many British people feel. We also realise that Tony Blair's attempt to galvanise Bush into taking action (when all Bush wants to do is on vacation),towards peace is like pulling teeth without anesthetic.
Remember whatever Tony Blair's faults, neither he or our government are right-wing Christian fundermentalists or Zionists, they are not going to be happy to sit back and wait for the rapture. The fact that Blair is attempting to give the stem-cell researchers a new home, does expose some big differences in opinion.

[mwooldri]

7. Well Blair said he'd go... time for him to go.

Time for Gordon to try things out for a bit. Maybe, just maybe Gordon sees things differently and won't be a US Poodle.

Mark