Tony Blair appeared to admit that he had become a
mere adjunct of American diplomacy
Posted on 07/18/2006 12:31:29 AM PDT by familyop
Big power diplomacy to stop the fighting in Lebanon ground into gear yesterday as Britain and other European states pushed hard for the deployment of an international intervention force on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Tony Blair appeared to admit that he had become a
mere adjunct of American diplomacy
As Israel bombarded Lebanon for the sixth day, seeking to weaken the pro-Iranian Hizbollah movement and stop it from firing rockets into Israeli territory, American officials said that Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, would travel to the Middle East "soon".
Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, was already in Beirut to call for "an immediate truce", while President Jacques Chirac urged the creation of an international force with the "means of coercion".
Tony Blair supported the idea. He said: "The only way we are going to get a cessation of hostilities is if we have the deployment of an international force into that area that can stop the bombardment over into Israel and therefore give Israel a reason to stop its attacks on Hizbollah."
In an unguarded moment picked up by microphones at the G8 summit in St Petersburg, he appeared to admit that he had become a mere adjunct of American diplomacy. Telling President George W Bush that he was ready to "prepare the ground" for Miss Rice's visit, he said: "If she goes out, she's got to succeed, as it were, whereas I can just go out and talk."
Mr Bush appeared unenthusiastic about the idea, suggesting that the solution was simpler. "What they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hezbollah, to stop doing this shit and it's over," he said.
The surprise broadcasting of summit chit-chat between Mr Blair and President Bush cast the Prime Minister in an unflattering light, reinforcing his enemies' claims that he is Washington's poodle.
While Mr Bush ate a bread roll, Mr Blair stood behind him like a courtier trying to attract the monarch's attention and hoping to work up some diplomatic momentum at what could be his last G8 summit before he retires. Other leaders seemed more interested in their food, or their notes, than in trying to sway Mr Bush.
The sound was cut when Mr Blair noticed the microphone and leaned forward to switch it off.
While there is a tradition of British ministers promoting ideas on Washington's behalf, the idea that a prime minister would squander his prestige and think nothing of being rebuffed takes the "special relationship" into new areas.
Mr Bush also appeared to be impatient with Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general, who has been the driving force behind the idea of a new force to replace the present ineffective UN contingent, Unifil.
"I felt like telling Kofi to get on the phone with [Syria's President Bashar] Assad, make something happen," Mr Bush said. He and Mr Blair went on to discuss how Damascus was trying to derail efforts to strike a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as undermine Iraq's fledgling democracy.
Mr Blair conceded that the make-up of an international force was "an open question" and admitted that British forces were already stretched. Romano Prodi, the Italian prime minister, said that Mr Annan hoped to send about 8,000 more troops, four times larger than the Unifil contingent.
The European Union said that several members had expressed their readiness to send soldiers and President Vladimir Putin did not rule out Russian participation.
However, it is unclear whether Israel, traditionally suspicious of outside intervention, would support the idea. As its commanders said they needed another week to complete their mission, Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, said there would be no let-up in the onslaught. He told parliament in Jerusalem that the country was "at a moment of national truth".
He said: "We have the right to our freedom and, when we have to, we know how to fight for and defend that freedom."
Mr Olmert added: "We shall seek out every installation, hit every terrorist helping to attack Israeli citizens, destroy all the terrorist infrastructure, in every place."
In the bloodiest incident yesterday, nine Lebanese civilians, including two children, were killed when a bridge they were driving across was hit by an Israeli missile. So far, 24 Israelis, half of them civilians, and more than 200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have died in the fighting.
The war exploded when Hizbollah crossed the UN-demarcated border to ambush an Israeli patrol and kidnap two soldiers. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed. That followed a similar operation by the Palestinian group, Hamas, which killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped one.
Israel has said it will not stop fighting until Hizbollah is dismantled. But officials have been suggesting that they would agree to a cease-fire if the soldiers were freed and Hizbollah withdrew from the border area.
For historical background on relations between Britain and Israel, see the "British Mandate for Palestine (WW I to 1948)."
And here's the usual pro-terrorist piece in The Times (London). One can often see tear-jerkers for Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations against Israel in this publication (also one of the more US-friendly publications in London).
'It is madness. Why is no one doing anything to stop this?'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2274521,00.html
Thanks for the link - bookmarked for later.
Podcast BBC radio 5 'The Daily Mayo'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml?focuswin
Melanie Philiips was on Monday's show.
There's been a lot of hatred expressed against Melanie and Mark Steyn over there (even by some of the Freepers in the UK). Mark was recently fired from work at The Telegraph, BTW.
What?
Who were those blithering idiots and what did they say?
Allow me to revise that to "hatred" from others (comments from readers in UK papers) and negative criticism from some FR members.
Here's one old negative criticism about Steyn. ...sorry that I don't have time to do a lot of searching.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1660050/posts?page=68#68
There are positive news stories elsewhere,...
British troops reclaim Taliban stronghold
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1666561/posts
But I don't think it's a good idea for European troops and commanders to be send to any conflict directly involving Israel.
And Scania boy I don't rate Mark Steyn, ok he says what you think, that doesn't mean he is right.
He may be a good writer that doesn't mean he is a good analyst.
From a analytical point of view he tends to over simplify and go for emotional rather than analytical responses. I guess there is more money in political than theatrical.
He may be a good writer that doesn't mean he is a good analyst.
OK, that's fair, and I have no problems with that. I think he mostly hits the head on the nail, but of course that is always be open to debate - that's why we have a discussion forum.
She is an old lefty who turned right, but the arrogance that made her believe she was totally correct when she was on the left is still there.
Coupled with a lot of bitterness at slights.
Like I said before political analysts can say what they like as long as it reinforces a view point of either the left or right.
Totally ignoring the reality of a situation and the fact it may be a lot more complex.
Its rather easy to hit the nail on the head when you speak to the converted , example a left wing speaker talking about the evils of America and the Bush regime can marshal a lot of facts to prove a point, will be cheered as hitting the nail on the head by a left wing crowd.
He is good at beating the drum, and talking about threats, we can all do that, but he has fallen over every time he has proposed a possible solution.
Melanie has also written some material in favor of fathers'/family rights. The problem of violent crime committed by fatherless youth has grown in each of our countries as more feminist divorce/separation laws have passed.
As for Israel, yes, Melanie has an outlook more like that of older folks--those of what we in the USA call our "Greatest Generation" (many who came of age during WWII). Quite a few former people of the left tend to look up more to the wisdoms of our parents/grandparents than do most people.
I enlisted when I was 31 years old after guilt at having not done so earlier. ...did one-station-unit initial training for combat engineers (combat, not construction--three months, old-fashioned, total control) at that age. My 10-year marriage to a man-hater was officially ended the day before going to Ft. Leonard Wood for that. That marriage was enough to move me away from leftism.
I'm now more conservative than most US Republicans. ...would like to take our social behavior back to the 1700s. ;-)
Rather you than me, unless of course you can guarantee I am at the top of the pile.LOL.
I am not saying that Mark and Melanie are not right in there comments about certain states of both our nations.
But as I said talking about a countries ills is like shooting fish in a barrel.
Where they fall down is what shall we do next.
Trying to turn the clock back never works, what we need to do is look at a situation identify what is wrong, identify what is fixable now and what is fixable later.
Turning the clock back only means going back to the original problem, which the later problems try to correct.
Sorry you had a bad marriage, I guess it doesn't help to say I am in a great one, long as she is the boss LOL, but hell I don't mind.
It takes a certain breed of women to be a Military wife, daughters of those who served in the military have a better understanding of what you are letting your self into.
I did a brief tour with both 59 (regular) and 131 (TARV)Commando Engineers in the mid 80s.
LOL forget fat camps get them to spend a week building bridges watch that fat melt away
The Telegraph is one of the more US-friendly and Israel-friendly dailies in England.
It used to be, but it is changeing, probably because that PR cretin Cameron, the Tory leader wants to chase the lefty vote.
You used to able to depend on the Telegraph, but no more. Their US correspondent Alec Russell hates GW and is always trying to rubbish him.
Thank you. I'd hoped that the new owners might have made an agreement like that of the Ashers (National Post, Canada) with Lord Black (to continue encouragement of western cohesion and conservative publishing). Apparently, they didn't.
To be more open, I've been trying to draw complaints from US residents to the Telegraph and the Times. ...thought that maybe if they see us watching them, more thought and dialogue toward solutions might follow.
Good for you, give e'm hell.
The writeing on the wall for the telgraph was when they dumped Steyn.
i don't know if it's a new generation of journalists who are basically soft left. Or it's more sinester and the new owners the Barclay brothers, have been asked to try and move people opinions by the ex-tory party.....and to reflect all the wrong headed idiocy that the ex-tory party are spouting these days.
Did you know that they give away a special New York Times supplement once a week....how low can you go.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.