Bush is hosting a new UK prime minister this weekend. The Times of London reports:
In contrast with the famous “Colgate summit” – at which Bush told the press he and Blair shared the same brand of toothpaste – no walkabouts or matey photo-opportunities are expected when the president meets the new prime minister.
“President Bush and prime minister Brown don’t need a photo-opportunity of the two of them heading off into the sunset holding hands to prove that the US-UK relationship is as strong as ever,” a British official said.
Brown will have a one-to-one dinner with Bush tonight and they will meet again without aides for breakfast tomorrow.
A Whitehall source said: “It will be more businesslike now, with less emphasis on the meeting of personal visions you had with Bush and Blair.”
The Times reports that PM Brown may come bearing a message that the Brits are leaving Iraq soon. And it not hard to figure why they want to do that.
Army chiefs make no secret of their desire to withdraw. British troops are under virtual siege in Basra with four servicemen killed in the past two weeks by mortar or rocket attacks on their two bases. Most are in tents with no overhead protection.
Nothing like taking mortar rounds in a tent to focus the mind on leaving. We’re being set up for a military fiasco.
“Nothing like taking mortar rounds in a tent to focus the mind on leaving. We’re being set up for a military fiasco.”
If you mean strategically, then yes I agree. If you mean “We’re being set up” with the “We” being progressives who want out of Iraq and the Democrats who are trying to make tha come about, then I also agree.
As I said, the Democrats in Congress are being primed to take the fall here. The noise machine is gearing up to place the blame on the surge’s failure and the fall of the Iraqi government on “calls for withdrawal undermining our efforts” rather than the entire exercise being doomed from the beginning.
The “Democrats = Traitors” meme will come roaring back in September and will be used to justify all kinds of things: increased troop presence in Iraq, whatever we end up doing to Iran and Pakistan and Afghanistan, etc and a whole lot worse, I would have to think.
We’re nearing the endgame.
Maybe it is a Colgate moment!
This may delay the false flag ops scheduled for August as it would give them far more leverage if A, the British left Iraq and B, a terror event “happened”. Also may explain the lack of photo-ops.
can’t say I follow your reasoning.
They could ramp up their “Fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them here” routine if the Brits pulled out. It is the “we told you so” factor.
True it doesn’t make logical sense but then again explain to me the last six years.
(Twighlight Zone music plays in the background)
of which there will be many because there are always photogs around the president…pm brown has a history of being averse to pomp and circumstance:
l wouldn’t read too much into that, although it is interesting that the trip was scheduled for when cheney would not/could not be present. these things don’t happen by coincidence.
lTMF’sA
Most interesting. The embassy of course is a safe house for the more clandestine of “intelligence” services yet I’m quite sure these people can do a hotel at a moments notice also.
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(The Herald) – Gordon Brown last night comprehensively dismissed any doubt that he was cooling on Britain’s “special relationship” with America by declaring he was an avowed Atlanticist who wanted to strengthen further the UK’s bond with its primary ally.
As he flew to Washington for his first face-to-face talks with the US President as Prime Minister, he spoke glowingly of the tenets underpinning the American Declaration of Independence and even invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill, a personal hero of George W Bush.
A Joint Inheritance
Mr Brown told reporters about a “joint inheritance” between the two nations, declaring this consisted “not just of shared history but shared values founded on a shared destiny”.
He added: “I mean the idea that everyone is created equal, that there should be freedom of expression for all faiths, that arts and culture should celebrate diversity, that government should be open and accountable, that there should be opportunity for all and a belief in free trade.
“These are the ideas that bind and give us strength to work together, to face down every challenge ahead – from the danger of nuclear proliferation, global poverty, climate change, to today, the biggest single and immediate challenge the world has to defeat: global terrorism.”
Brown’s praise for US incurs wrath of party
≈ Cross-posted from my diary — Yo Brown! ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."