Britain urges US to delay war until autumn (SHAME, SHAME ALERT)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | January 9, 2003 | Anton La Guardia and George Jones

[Cicero]

Probably just blair or some spokesperson trying to keep the Labour wimps happy, knowing that Bush will ignore the idea even if it is presented to him. But it's a dangerous game.

Blair is between a rock and a hard place. His heart obviously isn't in this war, as it was with the attack on the Serbs with his good buddy clinton (in which he took a leading part).

On the one hand he risks losing the support of his left-wing colleagues; on the other he risks the Special Relationship, which he is smart enough to know would be a disaster for the U.K.

At least he's better than Schroeder--and as a result his political position is stronger, too.

[You Dirty Rats]

There's never been a better name for any aircraft carrier than the Ark Royal.

The original Ark Royal was the one ship most responsible for sinking the Bismarck.

Blair is not going to ask Dubya to delay anything. This article is total crap. I'm sure there are some wobbly ministers around but they can't do anything except whine.

[Argus]

I find it absolutely inconceivable that the US will send hundreds of thousands of troops to just sit around that hellhole until next autumn while our enemies continue to gather strength as we do nothing to stop them. I just don't see that happening.

[Dog Gone]

I don't think Blair is wimping out at all. I don't follow the British press as closely as our own, but Britain has been there all along, including in the No-Fly Zone.

He has to fight the people in his own party, but backing down now would be foolish. I don't think he is.

[MadIvan]

I find it absolutely inconceivable that the US will send hundreds of thousands of troops to just sit around that hellhole until next autumn while our enemies continue to gather strength as we do nothing to stop them. I just don't see that happening.

We're sending troops as well. I cannot imagine that they will sit there either. Gordon Brown, our Chancellor, would scream about the cost of sitting around and doing nothing, at the very least.

Regards, Ivan

[okie01]

"There's nothing in this story that directly indicates that Britain has actually urged us to delay anything. I'd be surprised if they do."

After reading the headline and the story, I went back to check the byline -- suspecting that Dana Milbank was now writing for The Telegraph.

[El Gato]

including a conflict in the spring

Spring comes about 1 1/2 months too late for that. It'll be a mid to late winter campaign.

[Domestic Church]

Perhaps it is disinformation at it's best.

[Prodigal Son]

You never know, Ivan, Dubya and Tony might've already scripted this all out. I'm basically taking a 'wait and see' attitude on Iraq. I figure a whole lot more's going on behind the scenes than I'll ever be privy to. I have confidence that Dubya will attack when the time is right- if that time ever comes at all. The big goal is to take down Saddam, not necessarily to destroy Iraq.

But yeah, I could definitely see them playing a "good cop, bad cop" sort of scenario here until they've got all their ducks in a row.

[krodriguesdc]

something to do with north korea I'd say...

[Peach]

The British press needs to read "Searching for Dirty Bombs" - an article posted on FR right now by Insight. I don't know the credibility of the source, but several officials are quoted as saying that two prisoners taken after 9/11 had signs of radiation poisoning and US intelligence officials are nearly convinced a nuclear attack is coming.

[mhking]

Wimps.

[blam]

"The British press needs to read "Searching for Dirty Bombs" - an article posted on FR right now by Insight.

I think highly of Insight Magazine, will you post a link?

[a_Turk]

Strawberry Fields Forever..

[MadIvan]

Strawberry Fields Forever..

Yes indeed, "living is easy with eyes closed".

Regards, Ivan

[Peach]

It's not Insight Magazine but something called Insight On The News. It looks legit and the article reads legit. Will post a link in a few minutes.

[Peach]

Searching for Dirty Bombs

[ejdrapes]

It smells like a New York Times technique; make up a story the way YOU want it to be and use "unnamed sources" to bolster your point.

But the Telegraph is supposed to be a center-right newspaper. I could see this story running in some of the liberal papers (e.g., Mirror, Independent, Guardian). Why is it so inconceivable that Blair has gone "wobbly"? He might be more hawkish than his party and/or the rest of Europe, but he's still a left-winger...

[blam]

Thanks, it is Insight Magazine.

"That a nuclear-bomb plot may have been thwarted was made disturbingly clear, the sources say, by the disclosure that physical evidence indicated some detained al-Qaeda members actually had handled radioactive materials, including at least two who exhibited symptoms of radiation sickness. One of the sources said this "only intensified our concerns about al-Qaeda networks we continue to monitor. ... They exhibited symptoms of exposure to various radioactive substances" consistent with building a dirty bomb."