Straw says bombing may stop for Ramadan as support for war falters

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 10/29/2001 | George Jones

[Pokey78]

THE Government signalled that it was reconsidering whether to continue bombing Afghanistan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid growing concern that the Allies were losing the propaganda battle.

Tony Blair and Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, launched a concerted effort to shore up domestic and international opinion after what was generally acknowledged to have been the worst weekend of the conflict.

	Jack Straw: 'We are thinking about this very carefully'

In a speech to the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff tomorrow, Mr Blair will urge the British people to keep their nerve and emphasise that the conflict would take both time and patience.

"Whatever our faults, Britain is a very moral nation with a strong sense of right and wrong and that moral fibre will defeat the fanaticism of the terrorists and their supporters," he will say.

As US bombers helped the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance open another front in north-east Afghanistan, with the aim of capturing the town of Mazar-i-Sharif, Mr Straw conceded for the first time that the Government was looking at the possibility of halting the bombing raids during Ramadan.

The Muslim holy month of fasting, which starts on November 17, is a time of heightened Islamic passion. Interviewed on BBC1's Breakfast with Frost, Mr Straw said that although the history of warfare in Islamic countries showed there had not been pauses during Ramadan: "We are thinking about this very carefully."

He also said of the bombing: "This kind of military action may last indefinitely." At the end of last week, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, Chief of Defence Staff, compared it to the 50-year Cold War, while Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary, said that it might drag on into the New Year.

Mr Straw's comments about Ramadan indicated a significant softening in the Government response to calls for a pause. In the Commons on Friday, Adam Ingram, the Defence Minister, dismissed demands for military action to be stopped.

Interviewed later on American television, Mr Straw sought to clarify his remarks: "It is not possible to say it is going to start at 10 o'clock on a Sunday and finish at five o'clock on a Friday. Life isn't like that."

He also played down suggestions that the military campaign might be extended to other countries, such as Iraq. "The only military action on the agenda at the moment is in Afghanistan," he said.

Yesterday, Downing Street made it clear that the Government would prefer to be able to continue the bombing. Mr Blair's spokesman said: "We are aware of the sensitivities, but equally we are aware of people's desire that we finish this job as quickly as possible."

There has been a series of setbacks in recent days, including the death of more than a dozen civilians in weekend bombing raids, the execution of a key anti-Taliban leader, Abdul Haq, who was captured in Afghanistan, and the admission by military chiefs that the Taliban are proving a tougher opposition than expected.

The assurance that ministers had not closed their minds to a bombing pause over Ramadan was seen as an attempt to keep moderate Arab and Muslim opinion behind the coalition. Prince El Hassan of Jordan said yesterday that there was "fear and apprehension" in Muslim countries about the military action.

In the US, as senior administration officials tried to fend off criticism that the campaign was adrift, Donald Rumsfeld, the secretary of state, speaking on ABC's This Week, said the campaign "is going very much as expected".

But Labour unease over the bombing intensified yesterday. Peter Kilfoyle, MP for Liverpool, Walton, told BBC television's On the Record, that the Government's war objectives were becoming "confused" and it was allowing America to call the shots.

Tony Benn, the veteran Left-winger, told GMTV the war was "immoral" because it was killing innocent people.

[Pokey78]

Maybe Mr. Straw needs to talk to President Bush:

Phooey on Ramadan
President Bush won’t stop the war on Afghan-based Taliban troops and terrorists when the Islamic holy period of Ramadan begins in late November, senior diplomatic sources tell me. Muslim leaders have urged the administration to wrap up the war by then, or postpone bombings during Ramadan month. Says an administration big: “No way. Bush is angry and terrorists didn’t respect our holidays.”

From U.S. News' "Washington Whispers" column.

[Glenn]

This will be the test of Bush's character for me. If he gives in one little bit over Ramadan then he's done as President as far as I'm concerned. Allowing our enemies a month to plan what terror they'll inflict next is completely unacceptable.

[jwalsh07]

The British can't stop sh$t, the dye's cast, the Taliban are gone. Too bad Mrs Thatcher is gone, the Brits are going wobbly.

[KQQL]

Straw is from the lefty part of the labor party, I think it's time Tony the Tiger fires him.

[johniegrad]

Let me think about this now.....SHHHH....lemme think.....lemme think...NAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[Jaidyn]

Those 5000+ people will still be dead! Mohammed, himself, fought during Ramaden and they have initiated many battles during that time. Is it only allowed for Muslims to fight Christians during their holy days if they can win? This is not a football game and there is no half-time in the game of life. I hope Bush plays by his rules.

[self_evident]

THE Government signalled that it was reconsidering whether to continue bombing Afghanistan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan

Did I miss something? When did we give Britain command and control of our aircraft?

[vbmoneyspender]

Only three weeks have gone by since the war started and the Brits are already wetting their knickers. Churchill must be rolling over in his grave.

[dr_who]

Agreed. They will use Ramadan to recover, regroup, and recruit/kidnap more troops. It's such a stupid idea, it's criminal.

[Yanni45]

Any bets on whether the Taliban will cease hostilities in deference to Christmas?

[subAtomic]

The Araba have historically used Jewish holidays to launch attacks. IE the Yom Kippur War of 1973

[Capt. Tom]

We have to be carefull not to embolden future terrorists. If we stop our military operations we will show insincerity in our pursuit of the terrorists.

There are no end of people who will jump on the terrorist bandwagon if they think we are vulnerable, and there are no consequences for killing Americans.

What's best for our fighting men and women should be top priority. Not the stock market or religious holidays. - Tom

[WOSG]

Pokey, thanks for that. Great to see Bush is A+ Right on target here. How many kids will have a Christmas without a Dad or Mom thanks to the terrorists?

[Cicero]

Jack Straw is an extreme-left idiot. His name, oddly enough, is the same as the fellow who led the peasant revolt in the middle ages. Evidently he is trying to live up to it.

If Bush weakens in the slightest, the whole thing will collapse. I think he knows that. He has already made one major mistake by cozying up to Arafat, which has only succeeded in making him look weak and vulnerable to pressure from the Arabs and has undoubtedly contributed to instability in the Middle East.

The lesson this war must teach the Arabs is that if the US is sufficiently provoked, it will not stop until the guilty parties are completely crushed.