UN diplomacy is a waste of time, says Davis

[muriel_volestrangler]

David Davis sets himself up as the gung-ho, pro-war Conservative leadership candidate. Just to remind us there are worse things than Blair as PM ...

The Tory leadership front-runner said British influence over the operation in Iraq "was squandered by an obsessive insistence on prolonging UN-based diplomacy that could obviously yield no result". He added: "How much better it would have been to concentrate on ensuring planning for peace matched the planning for war."
...
Mr Davis even suggested critics of the war were exposing Britain to increased threats from terrorism. He said: "Those who complain that our closeness to America, in particular our support of the US in Iraq, has made us a target of terror, should think before they speak.

"Such remarks are a signal to extremists that we will adjust our foreign policy in response to their threats, which merely invited further attacks."
...
Mr Davis insisted British links with the US were vital to combating terrorism. He said: "Without the intelligence support we receive from our American allies, our citizens would be more at risk, not less. Islamist terror does not respect the white flag." Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, had stepped up pressure on the Government to review its strategy in Iraq. He said it would be disastrous to pull troops out, but called for a reappraisal of Britain's role.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article314778.ece

[punpirate]

1. Sounds like the sort of fellow...

... to whom Bush would give a Medal of Freedom. ??? :)

[non sociopath skin]

2. I suspect Obergruppenfuhrer Davis is much more typical of Tory "thinking"

.. than is Cigar 'n' Hush Puppies man.

The Skin

[tjwmason]

3. The problem is that most Tories do have brains.

They can see that Iraq is a bloody mess, and they are not fully paid-up members of the neo-con "ignore blatent reality" group; but at the same time their instincts always lead them to support any war in which Britain is fighting.

How can one support the invasion of Iraq, yet point out what a complete (pardon my French) balls-up it has been? Davis is trying to square the circle.

[non sociopath skin]

4. Well, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

If Davis (or Fox, for that matter) is elected, then the Tories clearly will be signing up again for the failing Neocon package.

If Clarke or Rifkind, then maybe there will be a soupcon of independence.

The Skin

[Taxloss]

5. And even Kenco ain't nice.

Davis is a very dangerous character - hard right BUT personable. Very personable. A real "doorstep instinct". I had dealings with him once and he was ... how should I put this? ... intelligent and couteous. Terrifying.

[fedsron2us]

6. Me thinks yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look

From the way he has plotted against every incumbent Tory leader over the past few years regardless of their political stance I think he is much, much more interested in power than ideology. He knows that to win the leadership of the Tory party he has no hope of garnering Ken Clarke's supporters on the left of the party so he is pitching his policies to the right. His recent speeches about the European Commission and the UN will appeal to that group but they are not likely to be hot topics in any future General Election. Ironically, his background is working class, and it appears both his natural father and stepfather were strong trade union activists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Davis

Of course, this kind of Tory sniping at Blair over Iraq is the sheerest hypocrisy since I do not think the Prime Minsister's UN diplomacy made one jot of difference to the conduct of the war or its aftermath. Nor is the British military presence sufficiently large to have any real impact on the current formulation of policy by the Bush administration. As for Britain's intelligence ties with the US, these have existed since the Second World War so Davis is merely stating the bloody obvious. Like most platitudes pronounced by British politicians it is an exercise in irrelevance.

[Briar]

7. True. But let's not forget that Bliar is gung-ho

pro war PM who trashed international law and undermined UN authority in his rush to pay a blood sacrifice to the American Empire.

[sweetheart]

8. Davis is a complete idiot

I'm sure he'll lead the tory party across the mountain passes of
opposition, over long and tiresome drift in to the fantasy pages of
history; a dry dead relic of empire.

I thought the tory party used to value *winning*... but that seems still
something they rather prefer losing. That they are not read yet to pick
someone who would win like Kenneth Clarke, implies that the lessons of
history are very very very very very slowly learned by thick people.

And we're better for it, they can change their name to the THICK party
as they squander themselves in to irrelevance.