That’s right folks, the poodle has finally barked back at his master:
TONY Blair has told George Bush that Britain cannot offer military support to any strike on Iran, regardless of whether the move wins the backing of the international community, government sources claimed yesterday.
Amid increasing tension over Tehran’s attempts to develop a military nuclear capacity, the Prime Minister has laid bare the limits of his support for President Bush, who is believed to be considering an assault on Iran, Foreign Office sources revealed.
Will wonders never cease? First the Generals revolt and now Tony Blair? What the hell is going on in BushWorldTM these days?
More below the fold . . .
But, in the midst of international opposition to a pre-emptive strike on Tehran, and Britain’s military commitments around the world, the government maintains it cannot contribute to a military assault. “We will support the diplomatic moves, at best,” a Foreign Office source told Scotland on Sunday. “But we cannot commit our own resources to a military strike.”
Meanwhile, a new report on the Iran crisis has warned that neo-conservatives in the Bush administration are on “collision course” with Tehran.
The Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), often referred to as Blair’s “favourite think-tank”, will appeal for a greater effort to find a diplomatic solution in a report to be published later this week. FPC director Stephen Twigg, formerly a Labour minister, explained: “It is essential UK policy on Iran is well informed… We want to engage with the various reformist elements in Iran, both inside and outside the structures of power.
“There is potential for political dialogue, economic ties and cultural contacts to act as catalysts for the strengthening of civil society in Iran.”
While the sense of crisis over Iran has been escalated by the fiery rhetoric between Tehran and the West – particularly Washington – many within the British government are now convinced that the impasse can be resolved by repeating the same sort of painstaking diplomatic activity that returned Libya to the international fold.
Diplomacy. What a concept. Of course, you lose the personal thril of watching buildings and Axis-of-Evil people get all blowed up by one swift stroke of your mighty penis Air Force, but still, maybe it’s worth a try, even if it is hard work.
Seriously, if we attack Iran we really will be going it alone. No Brits, no Israelis. No one except George Bush’s massive, messianic ego to keep our troops company. And the blowback? Well, as some fictional movie general once said: “Mr. President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed . . . “