London Times: Britain keeps distance from talk of strike on Iran

[DeepModem Mom]

August 14, 2005
Britain keeps distance from talk of strike on Iran
Andrew Porter and Tom Walker


THE foreign secretary Jack Straw sought to distance Britain yesterday from comments by President George W Bush that he would not rule out a military strike against Iran.

It came as diplomats gave warning that British attempts to solve the crisis prompted by Tehran’s resumption of its nuclear programme last week were doomed to failure.

Bush raised the temperature by giving an interview to Israeli television from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Asked if he would consider force, he replied: “All options are on the table.” He added: “The use of force is the last option for any president and you know we’ve used force in the recent past to secure our country.”

The Foreign Office reacted swiftly. “Our position is clear and has been made very, very clear by the foreign secretary,” a spokesman said. “We do not think there are any circumstances where military action would be justified against Iran. It does not form part of British foreign policy.”

So soon after the invasion of Iraq, which has led to so much political turmoil for Tony Blair’s administration, Straw is anxious not to be seen trying to talk up any future forays. But some rightwingers in Washington have criticised Straw’s position, saying that every time the foreign secretary rules out any remote chance of military action the Iranians know there is no need to compromise....


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1734191,00.html

[still_one]

1. hey blair and straw, your government helped create this monster

[Maple]

2. Tony will cave

He did the same thing about Iraq...right before he went along with it.

[...of J.Temperance]

3. I agree

Blair is a liar, I will NEVER trust him again. I voted for him twice and I'm so deeply ashamed and angry at myself that I was taken in by him. I wish the Labour backbenchers would get some backbone and give him the boot...I want Gordon Brown in Number 10 as soon as possible. The way I see it, only Brown taking over can stop Britain joining the Smirking Murderer in Crawford from going on another murderous rampage.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Thanks for a British opinion, ...of J.Temperance -- welcome to DU!

[...of J.Temperance]

5. Thanks

:)

[zanne]

37. Please keep us posted.

If it wasn't for you guys, we would never have known about the Downing Street memos. We've had to rely on foreign news coverage to stay informed about our own country! And please let us know about the mood there after the July 7th bombings. I'm more than a little worried that Tony and George are sharing a political consultant or two. I hope they won't be successful in letting fear control your political will.

[...of J.Temperance]

38. The news

I'd love to know what's happened to the American media, they're probably bought and threatened. I only watch bits via Sky, but I'm constantly disgusted at the sheer blatant level of whoring and downright lying propaganda.

The DSM, well Blair's now desperately trying to keep a lid on some emails that went back and forth on the eve of the Iraq adventure. He's completely disgusting, moreso after refuses to return from Barbados for Robin Cook's funeral.

July 7th bombings. I'm not in London, I'm further up North. However I have a friend who goes into London once a week, it used to be twice, but since the bombings he's cut back. The mood of the country is actually rather laid-back about all of this, nobody's freaking out, we're just going about our business and hoping it doesn't happen again. Blair's been trying to instill fear ala Junior, but we're not buying it. And of course the great majority of people here KNOW why these bombings have now happened here, Blair would like to think we're stupid, but we're not, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that July 7th and July 21st were direct results of his decision to take Britain into Iraq. If he goes into Iran, I just don't know what'll happen...how much is a ticket to go up to the International Space Station do you reckon?

[devinsgram]

40. "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out,"

In some parts of this country it does.

[...of J.Temperance]

42. Could that

Be because of your media though? The propaganda?

[devinsgram]

44. Absolutely,

That's why I come here for all my news. It's the only way I can get the real facts.

[...of J.Temperance]

45. It's

Good there are places like this. The apparent Mainstream Media are for the birds, the modern day version of Julius Streicher for sure, how they sleep at night I don't know...don't they care for their country and whats happening to it? What about their children and grandchildrens futures? They mustn't care.

[KaryninMiami]

6. I agree too- but it sure is curious. I wonder what Bush did to him.

I really thought Blair was one of the good guys- he seemed smart, progressive, compassionate, etc. But something happened to him- Bush must have twisted his soul (or balls) or maybe there was a monumental threat - something happened to shift Blair into who he is now. It's the same with McCain- what in the world could they have done to him, after how they destroyed him and his family. How can an ex-POW not be outraged to the point of hysteria over how we are torturing prisoners- raping children, etc. right now. Is it fear? Do Do they threaten their lives, their families, their livelihoods? Do they promise them great wealth, an afterlife in the rapture? What is it?

[yorkiemommie1]

7. well bushco is a crime family

i suspect, as you do , that there were some late night phonecalls. if i were mccain and someone tried to besmirch me like that, i would never talk to them again.

politics, as they say, makes strange bedfellows.

[KaryninMiami]

9. It was more then a phone call to get McCain to become a whimping coward.

The fact that he could be in the same room with them after what they did to him- never mind supporting his re-election and ignoring the torture-- somethings up. Either they have frightend and threatened him to submission, promised him something truly amazing (sex with 25 virgins perhaps?) or maybe they installed a chip in his brain. Anything is possible with these folks. ANYTHING. And they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

[...of J.Temperance]

8. Well, I think

I think both Blair and McCain show signs of blackmail and threats. I just think that the Bush Junta has got something on both of them.

I've noticed that whenever Bush meets Blair, after the meeting when they appear for the camera's, Blair's eyes, he has a look of fear and/or terror in them, I mean he looks frightened.

After McCain's been around Bush, he just looks humiliated.

Blair's such a shallow POS, he's turned into a real snake. But I say he and McCain are being threatened with blackmail.

[KaryninMiami]

10. Whatever they did- it's pretty major.

For McCain to not be SCREAMING about the torture, furious about the way they treated him and not outraged by a war that we are losing means they did somethng horrible to him. As for Blair, we must have threatened their economy- or maybe we told them we'd cut off their oil. Now that's a thought. Maybe since the plan is for them to control all the oil, they told Blair you're either with us- or your country freezes....

[...of J.Temperance]

12. McCain

John McCain has something similar to Battered Wife Syndrome I fear. I think he's always seemed a bit off the wall, probably as a result of what happened to him as a POW. I mean, I don't think he's all there in the head. I think his emotional defences are easily broken down, and I think that Bush plays on that to beat him into submission. And I think this is what they do to McCain when they get him alone in a room. As I pointed out before, he has a look of humiliation about him.

Blair's got some kind of dark secret and they know it, also Blair goes along because he's an egomaniac and he thinks that by riding with the Big Boy he himself becomes a sort of Big Boy. He's the worst kind of political opportunist.

[Miss Chybil]

18. What, did you get the "McCain's a nut" flyer, too?

I don't like everything McCain does, but he's not a nut. I'd much rather he were in the White House right now than the maniacal, narcissistic bastard that's in there now. Of course, Gore would be even better.

[...of J.Temperance]

39. McCain

How can someone trust and respect a persons decisions when they bend over so readily like McCain does? To cave in to the degree John McCain does, how could anyone go for someone like him? The Republican's should never be allowed to be in a position of power ever again, or at least for a VERY long time, not after this, not after how they've behaved and what damage and misery they've brought to their own country and various parts of the world.

I wouldn't trust any GOPer as far as I could throw them, even the so-called Moderates, if they're so Moderate why do they vote in lockstep with EVERYTHING the Psycho Monkey wants...if they're so Moderate then they should cross the aisle, if they can't bring themselves to join the Democratic Party, then they could always sit as an Independent like Jim Jeffords has happily been doing.

Gore yes, Kerry yes, I ADORE John Edwards though, so I'd like him to, Clark yes...even Mike Malloy, imagine him in the WH.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Its not the oil. We import most of our oil from GB n/t

[0007]

33. Welcome home J.Temperance

Here is an authentic photo of junior & McCain. I think John McCain is nuts.


Bush has taken a sovereign nation and turned it into a roach motel for Islamic extremists.

[...of J.Temperance]

41. Thanks...I'm house-trained too

Yeah, look at that photo, if THAT isn't humiliation on McCain's face, then I don't know what is.

Gosh, Bush is so disgusting, what an ugly, vile MOFO he is. Equally disturbing is the look in the faces on the robots behind him, in their eyes, absolute blind love and loyalty, really scary.

[Benbow]

46. I too believe that the Bush administration has something on Blair

Instinctively, I feel that it must be something particularly personal - something that, if it came to light, would undermine everything that is important to Blair and besmirch his escutcheon forever. Like having been recruited to the CIA, allegedly, while at Oxford University (an assertion that I read somewhere) - I mean, I don't think that you can be Prime Minister of Britain AND a CIA agent. It is probably high treason. :-)

[...of J.Temperance]

47. Have you ever seen

This film:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049366/

I swear that Blair is like a character out of it. In 1997, when he first got in, he was radiant, had a sparkle in his eyes, in short he was NORMAL.

When the Psycho Monkey stole the WH in 2000, as soon as Blair met him, when he returned back to Britain he'd transformed into a spaced out, blank-eyed shell...ala they'd left a pod by his bed in DC or something. Very weird.

I dunno, maybe Blair swings both ways. I remember that curious detail from Jeff Gannon's diary:

"Spent the night entertaining the British Prime Minister Blair."

Interesting choice of word - ENTERTAINING - coming from a male prostitute. How many OTHER forms of entertaining you reckon gay hookers do? What was he juggling oranges for Blair? Standing on his head and then doing back flips? Putting on a singing and tap dance routine for Blair?

But Blair's disturbing transformation from 1997 to 2001 and beyond is

:scared:

[R Hickey]

48. Jeff Gannon and Tony Blair comitted unspeakable acts on camera...

in the Lincoln Bedroom. Rove rewarded Jeff Gannon with a promotion to WH Reporter, til it was noticed.

[...of J.Temperance]

49. You got it

That's the ticket and they probably have videos and/or photographs of Blair in compromising positions pre-Gannon.

The hooks into Blair are probably stronger now too, considering that Karl Rove was very possibly getting serviced by Gannon too.

'Uh, I feel somewhat ill now, having given myself a most unfortunate and distasteful visual image of the pig Rove's big fat ass.

[Matilda]

11. A couple of possible reasons -

Blair would have realised that Bush was prepared to go it alone, and
had he been successful, the US would have gained total control of
Iraq's oil and a dominant position in the ME. Britain couldn't
afford to be sidelined like that, but it's a pity Blair didn't listen
to his own advisers who were warning that it wouldn't succeed.

There's also the power of Rupert Murdoch - the Murdoch press helped
Blair get elected, and Rupert was all for war. If Blair had taken
a different line, he was running the risk of an attack from the
Murdoch papers; something not to be underestimated. But again, he
failed to listen to the British people, who supported the anti-war
stand in spite of the Murdoch press, and would have continued to
support Blair if he'd taken a similar stand against Bush.

[...of J.Temperance]

13. The crazy thing is

That Britain has only got crumbs out of Iraq. So what a colossal miscalculation that was of Blair's. But if Blair didn't want Britain to be sidelined and the US to gain total control on ME oil...why wasn't France, Germany etc. worried about that too? Why didn't they go into Iraq with Bush and Blair too, why did they stay out?

Rupert Murdoch is a vile monster. As you pointed out, his papers were banging the war drums and his papers had endorsed Blair in 2001 and 2005. But the people still were against going into Iraq and are still against whats happening in Iraq. So this was another colossal miscalculation by Blair, because even though he won the election in May, it was a hollow win and Labour lost 60 seats BECAUSE of him and Iraq.

[MisterP]

19. Palast's '03 book has the straight poop on Blur: he's a neolib,

which is Thatcherism with a dollop of fake guilt at people making babies starve or whatever protesting the WTO is supposed to make happen

[acmavm]

34. Please. Poodle & McCain being blackmailed or threatened. No way.

These are two very flawed men who don't give a damn about what happens to anyone else, just so long as they make sure that their place in the scheme of things doesn't suffer.

If either had one ounce of integrity or decency, they would have put their paws down and said enough a long time ago.

Poodle when he found out that the justification for attacking Iraq wa based on lies and McCain when they attacked his wife and kid. You know, sometimes you just have to take a stand. That's where those two should have stopped letting the miserably incompetent and corrupt bush** administration walk all over people everywhere.

[ninkasi]

23. Yes, welcome...

It's good to have you here. I hope Blair has enough sense not to be lured by the idiot we have here into any more massive failures. Perhaps Blair finally listening to the citizens of his country will be the only thing that will help keep the Smirking Murderer in Crawford...I love that phrase you used...from starting WWIII, and ending life on earth as we know it.

[...of J.Temperance]

43. Hello

I think I'm finding my way around okay, although I'm just exclusively in this particular thread.

Blair will have to go in with Junior. However I'm watching Russia and China, I just cannot believe that the Madman is going to be allowed to just walk into Iran like he did with Iraq. I have to keep hoping that somebody ANYBODY is going to stop this craziness.

[evermind]

32. There was never any statement that ruled out military action

before the Iraq war from the Blair government. Certainly nothing as strong as "We do not think there are any circumstances where military action would be justified against Iran."

There just isn't the political will in this country for backing another mad US excursion in the middle east - Labour have seen the damage the last one did to their electoral support.

Even if the US were to launch an attack (or back up an Israeli strike) - that doesn't amount to an invasion. The US military simply hasn't the resources to take on Iran right now - it is a different matter than invading a country like Iraq, which was weakened by 10 years of sanctions and continual airstrikes, and US forces are already stretched in Afghanistan and Iraq as it is.

An invasion is very unlikely; an airstrike or two, I wouldn't rule out - but that wouldn't require UK support (though UK in the past has been a convenient base for such US activity, it's true.)

[daleo]

15. This time the U.S. Congress has to stop Bush

Blair's involvement is a sideshow. I don't even think it would have propaganda value anymore.

[jillan]

16. and if congress doesn't stop Bush - the people will have to.

The maniac is going to get us all killed.

[NEOBuckeye]

21. Screw Bush, people. It's CHENEY. He's the madman that MUST be stopped.

Bush is just a cover. We focus a gread deal of scrutiny upon him, and perhaps rightly so. But while we do, we too often overlook that Cheney is the actual snake slithering around behind the scenes. He is the one orchestrating this latest drumbeat to war with Iran.

If sunlight is disinfectant, Cheney needs to be put under a magnifying lens at high noon. He is the bridge between the NeoCons, Big Oil and "death merchants" like Carlyle. He is the real terrorist to America and the world, if ever there was one.

I just hope that the Justice Department and/or the Military can stomp him before he causes even more greivous damage to humanity and the Earth itself.

This one man cannot be allowed to destroy our world.

[nookiemonster]

29. You nailed it.

Cheney is the big fish in this pond. Bush is nothing but the proverbial "figurehead".

[Miss Chybil]

17. No nukes for anybody. That means US, too. nt

[lavenderdiva]

20. Just WHERE does Shrub think he's going to get the warm bodies

to go fight another war in Iran? That is, without instituting a draft? Why can't the American public see this?

[Roy]

22. Certainly not a draft........

Who would show up for induction?????? Eyes are wide open now!

[lavenderdiva]

52. Oh Roy, you don't know how I hope you are right.

I hope people's eyes are being opened to this maniac. But I'm concerned that many people are more than willing to go with the status quo. I want to believe the tide is turning, but sometimes, some of the things I hear people still saying (good) about Shrub, really leave me incredulous. My in-laws still think he's fabulous and 'led by God'! (major incredible emphasis on that last bit). People like that, I just don't know what it will ever take for them to see the truth about this man. They have a grandson, who, in 2 years, will be eligible to enlist. Not that he is in anyway considering this option. His parents are dead-set against Shrub and his regime, and all it stands for. But my in-laws, when presented with the possibility that he may have to face a draft at some point, may have to serve overseas in a war zone, may not come home (other than in a box), stated that that would be ok with them, if it was best for the country!!!!!!!!! This is their much-beloved only grandson (they also have a granddaughter who is also very loved and adored), and they are WILLING to let him go over there! Me, my husband, and his parents will go kicking and screaming before he has to go anywhere for this ridiculous President.

[atreides1]

55. Tell your in-laws this

That the only difference between them and the Germans that supported Hitler, is that they don't speak German.

Your in-laws are not patriots they are nationalists, as are all who support Bush, by their statement, they have no love for the boy, and
would rather he come back in a box.

Maybe it's time to cut the string, these people sound like they would sell out their own children, before they question the wisdom of Bush and the other fanatics that support him.

[Barkley]

56. Bush will launch 100s of Cruise Missiles on Iranian nuclear sites

He'll promise that the targets were precision smart bombs against just suspected nucelar sites.

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. Don't need many warm bodies if you use nukes, as this CARTOON shows:

(image may take a few extra seconds to load)

http://www.allhatnocattle.net.nyud.net:8090/englehart5505.gif

[lavenderdiva]

50. what an interesting concept...

the very reason (or at least one of the stated ones) that we would be 'going in' would be because the Iranians refuse to stop their own nu-cu-lar development. SO, we go in with nu-cu-lar bombs to stop them from developing their own nu-cu-lar program. Somehow, I can see this making sense to Shrub. :sarcasm:

I'm just not sure the rest of the world is going to look the other way this time.

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. From Israel

That's why Blair can huff and puff about Iran and it doesn't matter. Bush doesn't need him for Phase II. Israel is more then willing to do the dirty this time. That is why Bush addressed the Israeli people the other day but he doesn't have time to address his own people.

[lavenderdiva]

51. Let's see, he has the time to throw baseballs out at a Little League game

in Waco, but he's waaaayyyyy too busy to talk to Cindy? Being President is SUCH 'hard work'.

[WCGreen]

24. I think Britain stepped up because they are so heavily

invested in the US. The UK holds more foreign investment in the US than any other country, at least the last time I looked...

during the run up to war, it came to be known that Saddam had dumped the Dollar for the Euro as it's oil valuator...

Meaning, they traded and held assets in Euro's...

So bear with me here...

Britain has rejected the Euro.....

If Saddam had been successful in talking other OPEC countries to follow suit, the Dollar would have been devalued thus erasing a whole lot of British foreign capital....

Look at who supported the War.....

Italy and Spain and Britian.... Italy and Spain because they saw little difference in their Economies from adopting the Euro and they are also heavily invested in US Assets....

Who was against it, France, Germany and the Netherlands, three countries that are tied to the Euro big time.....

I'm just saying there is a reason for alliances on the international level that can almost always be found where the buck stops...

Not saying all this is true, But it is just something to make you go Hummmmmmmm

[girl gone mad]

25. "The use of force is the last option for any president ..."

How can he say that with a straight face?

On second thought, I bet he was grinning when he said it.

[wli]

26. Bliar Bliar tries to put out the no confidence fire

Good luck, Tony, odds are you'll be sitting in the Hague in a cell next to Cheney and Bush when it's over.

[D-Notice]

30. ...

in public, that is.

In private, it's almost certainly a different matter.

These sort of statements take me back... something like 3 yrs, when we were told there were no plans to bomb Iraq

[rodeodance]

31. and there was a story about Germany tell the US to take a hike a day

or two ago. wonder if BushCo is getting the message?

[54anickel]

35. Deja vu? I knew the wingnuts would be crying this would "embolden"

Iran - that was the same line they used to Congress and the world in the run up to Iraq.

That last paragraph is just f'ing sick!

[slay]

36. Come on Blair.. channel your inner NeoCon

you greedy powerhungry jerk. :mad:

[Podface]

53. Good for them!

[DeepModem Mom]

54. Hi, Podface -- welcome to DU!