Chatham House Report States The Bleedin' Obvious
It's not just officials from the State Department who say Blair has no influence at all over George Bush. Now a Chatham House report has said exactly the same thing.
What on earth took them so long to realise that? The report goes on to describe Iraq as a "disaster", our involvement in the invasion as a "mistake" and the post-invasion situation as a "debacle" which has damaged Britain's international influence. Also, there was "no evidence" that it was Blair who persuaded Bush into accepting a two-state solution for the Israel/Palestine conflict.
"And his successor will not make the same mistake of offering unconditional support for US initiatives in foreign policy at the expense of a more positive relationship with Europe."
In other words, by pathetically hanging on to George Bush and still failing to have anything to show for it (apart from a medal which he still hasn't collected), he also damaged Britain's relationship with Europe and so isolating the country even more. So much for being a "bridge between America and Europe".
Victor Bulmer-Thomas, the outgoing director of the think-tank said that Blair's successor would have to rectify the situation by distancing Britain from the USA and improving relations with Europe including a new look at our position on the Euro (I bet that went down well). He also suggested that Britain should help form a common European response to the recent ISG report.
All in all, a pretty damning report. It's a shame that only outgoing officials get to say what they want. Last week Kofi Annan let rip at America in his last UN speech which probably went down as well in New York as this report did in London.
Not wanting to be left out when it comes to belatedly stating the obvious, David Cameron has just made the astute observation that the Iraq war has increased the risk of terrorism.
The magazine of Chatham
The magazine of Chatham House has been running articles critical of the Iraq misadventure for a long time. The latest issue has an interesting article that is basically a critique of Blair's Mansion House speech (and concludes that Blair really doesn't get it).
Chatham House employed Elizabeth Wilmshurst to ask international lawyers what they think of the US 2002 Security Policy, the one that advocates preventive military actions, and the consensus among international lawyers was that the Policy is outsideinternational law.
I wish I would get paid for
I wish I would get paid for stating the obvious, what's their next report? Ocean is rather wet, grass largely green, bears invariably choose wooded areas for defecatory activity.
There is clearly a problem with our 'democracy' when such a reviled PM cannot/ will not be forced out. Labour- get some fucking balls.
I think that Bush, and Blair
I think that Bush, and Blair should stick to their duets.
From:
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6194789.stm, the report of Bliar's speech in Dubai;
"And 'us' is not just the West, still less simply America and its allies. 'Us' is all those who believe in tolerance, respect for others and liberty."
Quite plainly Bliar and Bush are not part of "us"
"Blair Political Colossus"
"Blair Political Colossus" in today's GDN , not sure whether to howl with laughter, or the other.
So Kosovo Sierra Leone Operation Desert Fox, EU enlargement, are his successes ?
Chatham House says he's succeeded in pushing GlobalWarming up the agenda, but what action has he taken on that ? Making speeches while at the same time planning more airport runways for the brits to escape from his paradise for short breaks . Bread, circuses and Profits.
AFRICA ? Chatham says he's made a difference. What Bollocks. More bullshit.
Tony Solo on Brown, and Blair, and Africa ---
"Brown's use of language is a window into the soul of a ruthlessly insistent, globally-designing shyster-marketeer pushing anything he can sell : dreams, tales, lies, torture, war-crimes. Brown is the sinister G-8 version of the perky local grocer who chats you up while keeping one finger pressed surreptitiously on the scales. Or those butcher wholesalers who bloat their meat products with fluid, chortling among themselves "why sell 'em meat when you can sell 'em water...?" Like the corporate company truck-shop made global he fronts for, Gordon Brown offers high-priced fraudulent tat via cheap public relations cant."
link to an old article, but good.
Global Colossi indeed.
Having a laugh while one bit of the establishment admits that "grass is usually green" is one thing. Cheap stuff, nice to see Blair being sniped at by his own side, as with Bush. Rats and ships.
Kosovo is in what condition today ?
Remember the headlines about massacres ? Was it not hundreds of thousands ?
Show me the mass graves, PLEASE .
Go on !