-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: February 24, 2007 12:06:39 AM PST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Blair Washes His Hands of Bush's Plan to Attack Iran
Fears grow over Iran
Tom Baldwin in Washington and Philip Webster, Political Editor
The Times (UK), February 23, 2007
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/
article1426601.ece
Tony Blair has declared himself at odds with hawks in the US
Administration by saying publicly for the first time that it would
be wrong to take military action against Iran. The Prime Minister’s
comments came hours before the UN’s nuclear watchdog raised the
stakes in the West’s showdown with Tehran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that Iran had
expanded its nuclear programme, defying UN demands for it to be
suspended. Hundreds of uranium-spinning centrifuges in an
underground hall are expected to be increased to thousands by May
when Iran moves to “industrial-scale production”.
Senior British government sources have told The Times that they
fear President Bush will seek to “settle the Iranian question
through military means” before the end of his second term if he
concludes that diplomacy has failed. “He will not want to leave it
unresolved for his successor,” said one.
But there are deep fissures within the US Administration. Robert
Gates, the Defence Secretary, who has previously called for direct
talks with Tehran, is said to be totally opposed to military action.
Although he has dispatched a second US aircraft carrier to the
Gulf, he is understood to believe that airstrikes would inflame
Iranian public opinion and hamper American efforts in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
One senior adviser to Mr Gates has even stated privately that
military action could lead to Congress impeaching Mr Bush.
Condoleeza Rice, the Secretary of State, is also opposed to using
force, while Steve Hadley, the President’s National Security
Adviser, is said to be deeply sceptical.
The hawks are led by Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, who is urging
Mr Bush to keep the military option “on the table”. He is also
pressing the Pentagon to examine specific war plans — including, it
is rumoured, covert action.
But Mr Blair, in a BBC interview yesterday, said: “I can’t think
that it would be right to take military action against Iran . . .
What is important is to pursue the political, diplomatic channel. I
think it is the only way that we are going to get a sensible
solution to the Iranian issue.”
The diplomatic options will be on the table on Monday when
representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council and Germany meet in London to begin drafting a new resolution.
It was notable that Mr Blair’s remarks yesterday closely resembled
those of Jack Straw last year, who said that an attack on Iran was
“inconceivable”, angering Washington and perhaps contributing to
his removal as Foreign Secretary.
The Prime Minister’s comments reflect what British officials have
been saying privately for some time, but also show a growing streak
of independence from Mr Bush. The White House was unhappy with the
timing of Mr Blair’s announcement this week on withdrawing 1,600
British troops, concerned that it undercut Mr Bush’s efforts to
shore up support for his troop surge on Capitol Hill while sending
out “mixed messages” to the Iranians.
Britain has also privately expressed concern over the handling of
the US military briefing last week which alleged that the “highest
levels” of the Iranian Government were behind the supply of weapons
to Iraqi militias.
- Mr Straw, the Leader of the Commons, did break ranks yesterday by
declaring that the Government was committed to a full inquiry into
mistakes made in the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.
He said that he was ready “in due course” for a wider inquiry than
those held to date. However a Downing Street spokesman said
yesterday that there would come a time to “look at these issues”.
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