Here We Go Again

The Guardian reports today that plans for a US led military strike on Iran are in an advanced stage. George Bush is said to be weighing up the arguments of Washington doves who are calling for a concerted diplomatic approach and the hawks of the neo cons who are saying that war is the only option.

The main thrust of the neo con argument is that the US must act to stop Iran developing into a regional superpower – a development primarily caused by the botched invasion of Iraq. Nothing like consistency in argument!

History has a habit of repeating itself – the US supported a despotic Saddam regime in Iraq for decades purely as a balance of power against Islamic fundamentalism in Iran. Isn’t it interesting that all the talk is not of securing democracy in Iraq, now it’s about ‘stability’.

My hunch is that the US will be more than happy to prop up another 'strong leader' in Iraq, especially as the latest escalation is doomed to fail. Only the mad men in the Whitehouse and a deluded New Labour could possibly view the deaths of close to a million Iraqis and the current chaos as anything resembling a success.

Where's Tony?

It’s somewhat ironic that on the day that the Commons was eventually allowed to debate Iraq, Tony Blair despite stating in macho mode that he would be happy to debate the invasion ‘any time – anywhere’ – was away meeting big business.

Poor Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary was left to face the fury of the House with only her junior Ministers as company and Jack Straw.

I suppose when you have the deaths of over 600,000 Iraqis on your hands; destabilised a whole region; increased the terrorist threat to the UK; and undermined international law - it’s best to stick to what you know best, cosying up and doing the bidding of the super rich.

Hain is at it Again

I just don’t get the hero worshiping of Peter Hain amongst journalists in Wales. He changes his position so often he makes a Chameleon look like a grey wall. The latest gambit of the former Lib Dem is to try and distance himself from the foreign policy disaster of his own Government in the New Statesman. Let’s examine Peter’s record on this issue:

He has resisted any attempts led by Plaid Cymru to have a proper Parliamentary

investigation into the run up to the war or its aftermath.
He supported the conflict as a junior minister when his boss in the Foreign Office, Robin Cook, did the honourable thing and resigned.

After four years of supporting the war and the death of over 600,000 Iraqis, over 2% of the population, he has all of the sudden come to the conclusion that the invasion is a mistake.

The question is will he have the courage of his convictions and vote against the government next week during the Iraq debate?