No End to Iraq Troubles Across the Pond

[Phaedrus]

More of the same for beleageured Tony Blair and the ill-fated decision to back an illegitimate invasion by the U.S.

From the Guardian, an embarrassing article about Occupation (er, Coalition) Leader Paul Bremer's flat denial of the veracity of Blair's claim that the ISG had uncovered evidence that Saddam Hussein had attempted to conceal WMD. Bremer (who did not realise that it was Blair who had made the comments) said:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
I don't know where those words come from but that is not what [ISG chief] David Kay has said ... It sounds like a bit of a red herring to me.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oops. One cannot help but speculate as to whether or not Bremer would have been quite so rough in his rebuttal has he known that the person making the comment was Tony the Poodle.

In other news, Clare Short continues to lead the voices calling on Blair to resign, comparing his support of the weak evidence of Iraq's threat to the U.K. to scandalised 1960's cabinet member John Profumo, who resigned after lying about an affair with prostitute Christine Keeler:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Profumo lied about having an affair with a prostitute and had to resign ... If you are going to start getting into deceit when you are going to war and risking human life it has gone too far.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Finally, a piece in The Sunday Times (reprinted at Cryptome here) reveals that the UK government has finally confirmed MI6's ongoing propoganda campaign to deliberately sway public opinion on Iraq by planting stories in the media regarding WMD and other make-believe threats from Baghdad.

Hopefully momentum will reach critical mass and result in Blair's eventual resignation or impeachment (if there is such a process in UK politics -- eek?) Such a turn of events could only be of detriment to Bush here in the States.


Phaedrus

 

[Phaedrus]

See also:

Before the War, Bush Told us Iraq Was a Throbbing Hub of Terror. It Wasn't. But it is Now.

David Kelly, Missing UK War Advisor and Former UN Weapons Inspector, Found Dead

When in Doubt, Lie Your Head Off

Blair Seeks God-Like, or at the Very Least Bush-Like, Powers

Putin Gives Blair a Friendly Kick in the Nuts at Press Conference

Independent: "So Where Are They, Mr. Blair?"

Phaedrus

 

[Oceans11]

Tony doesn't want to fall out with the yanks for various strategic reasons.
For example the almost exclusive UK access to various US military technology if we need it.
Then there's the old allies together in a war bit.
Then theres the european angle, we're not too keen on getting in too deep with the eurodudes after 2 world wars in the last 100 years.
Bosnia reinforced the belief that they can still all start butchering each other like idiots at the drop of a hat.
While they killed each other bigstyle the european 'powers' ponced around like girls and flapped their hands in the air, wondering what to do about it.

The Brit public know Iraq is a waste of time, but there are other strategic reasons for our involvement in this folly.

 

[Phaedrus]

eek

Out of curiosity, does Britain have an impeachment process similar to that which we have in the U.S.?


Phaedrus

 

[Oceans11]

I dont think so.
The Government and its underlying systems can pretty well do what they want to without fear of being caught by any 'impeachment'process.


We do not have a proper written constitution, the UK still has a Queen and her subjects type of constitution, which goes back to medieval times.

http://www.eurolegal.org/british/ukconset.htm

Between the two is Parliament, which has the House of commons and the house of Lords.
The monarchy ceded power to parliament around the time of Cromwell(I think).

The law is administered by a series of decrees from parliament. When the Monarch signs these off, 'rubber stamps' them, they become law.
It stands to reason that these guys who run the system have not, and will not, enact a law that could nail their ass to the wall if they knowingly do something wrong.
-------------------------------------------
Usually if theres a scandal or something blatantly stupid, the dude in charge takes early retirement on health grounds with a huge state pension.

--------------------------------------------

One of the most blatant acts of technical illegality in recent years was carried out by Margaret Thatcher.
She imposed a separate tax system on Scotland, while exempting England for a number of years.
(It was known as the 'Polltax')
The act of union between England/Scotland in 1707 is very specific about any significant tax system.
Any tax system imposed on one part of the Union, and not others, is legally unenforceable, and is a breach of the terms of the Act of Union.
Its really basic stuff.
Thatchers Government simply ignored the illegality and imposed the tax.

The Courts threw out all legal challenges made against the Polltax in Scotland in their earliest stages.
The 'old boy network' in the Judiciary tends to reawaken if the corridors of power are seriously threatened.
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Maybe you should have invaded us instead of Iraq, and imposed a proper constitution.

I wouldn't surprise me if the US Constitution was based to a great extent on trying to avoid the BS that the UK system has/had.
A system with some accountability for the big guys, and more rights for the little guys.
The big guys usually sleaze their way out of it anyway though, dont they.

[This message was edited by eek on December 29, 2003 at 08:46 AM.]