Danger for Blair after killing of soldiers

[cal04]

A rare silence descended on the House of Commons last night as MPs digested the grim news from Iraq. In brief remarks from all sides of the chamber, MPs limited themselves to extending their condolences to the relatives of the dead soldiers.

Outside the chamber, however, MPs reflected that the attack is likely to mark a pivotal moment as British troops face the sort of attacks which have become an almost daily occurrence for their US counterparts. Few MPs wanted to make capital out of the news, but critics warned that Tony Blair was entering a dangerous political period.

Richard Ottaway, a Tory member of the Commons defence select committee, said: "This is a wake-up call that our troops in Iraq are in a much more difficult situation. If it gets worse public opinion may turn."

Doug Henderson, a former defence minister who voted against the war, expressed his sadness at the loss of life. But he added: "The main implication is that unless there is an exit strategy, inevitably we will be drawn more and more into whatever military conflict there is in Iraq. When you get drawn into that you inevitably take casualties.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1344212,00.html

[Ducks In A Row]

1. break blair's balls

throw him in jail for criminal neglect of a country

[Fenris]

2. I have something for Blair...

It's the sound of the world's smallest violin and it's playing just for him...

:nopity:

[cubsfan forever]

12. Memo to Tony: Eat shit and die! n/t

Professor 2

[BillZBubb]

3. Bush*s "victory" is bad news for Blair.

If Kerry were president, Blair could work to make British voters forget what an ass he's been for the past two years. Bush* wouldn't be around to remind them.

Now Blair is exactly where he deserves to be. We'll find out if the British voters are smarter than us Yanks! I hope so, the bar isn't exactly very high at this point.

[daleo]

4. Three dead U.K. soldiers, bitten to death by a poodle

My granddad was in the Royal Navy, and several of my mom's brothers were in the British Army, so I hate this poodle from that family history.

[eleny]

5. What struck me was at the end

How it will affect Blair during election season. Big whip. My Canadian friends in British Columbia are agonizing over this loss. Cozy British/Canadian/American Yahoo groups usually filled with friendly chatter have suddenly gone silent. Blair deserves to be toast.

[VegasWolf]

6. People DEAD! Never to live or love or even eat pizza again, and

they worry about how the election might work out!

[Say_What]

7. Well, let's see, Holland, Hungary, and Bulgaria all pulling

out in March with Holland perhaps debating the possibility of staying a bit longer. Soon the UK and the US will be on their own in Iraq and not long after that we will be bankrupt just like the former Soviet Union was after 10 years in Afghanistan. We're borrowing at the rate of 1 billion a day--and we're at the debt ceiling--how much longer can this insanity continue?

At least the MPs extend their condolences to the dead soldiers' families. Has AWOl or the CongressCritters *EVER* done this??

[Crunchy Frog]

8. Good!

It's sad about the soldiers, but the British people need to get rid of that little rat bastard poodle. They really need to wake up to the real life consequences of the choices he has made.

[Nihil]

9. Really?

Care to inform us who is a better alternative?

Perhaps we in the UK are victims of a media mind meld in a similar way
to people in the US and it's only the "outsiders" who can see clearly?

Who is it that the UK media are hiding from us? This wonderful white
knight with democratic, humanitarian and environmental values?
The leader who can save us from our inheritance under the Blair-Bush
pact of evil?

The unfortunate fact is that, at the moment, there is NO-ONE.
THAT is why Blair gets away with murder (literally).
THAT is why the MPs bleat a bit then subside and lie down again.

At least the US had Kerry (regardless of his merits or failings) as
an alternative ... who is there in the UK?

(And no, I did not and will not vote for Blair even if he was the only
name on the ticket.)

I'm not picking on you CrunchyFrog but there is a black abyss of
despair opening up on both sides of the Atlantic, one that has no
solution in sight.

Nihil

[Crunchy Frog]

13. I'm sorry.

I feel for you people in Britain, really. Both of our countries are sinking into an abyss and all of us feel completely helpless.

I just have so much rage towards Tony Blair for being an enabler to Bush, being complicit in his war, and IMO complicit in his election. I don't mean to take it out on the British people, I just wish there was something they could do.:(

I'm afraid you'll be burying alot more soldiers before this is over and I just can't believe that Blair has been able to get away with it and not be held accountable.

[Zero Gravitas]

14. A New Labour Leader?

How does Labour choose its Leader? The Tories eventually turned on Thatcher (over Europe) and simply chose a new leader for the Parliamentary party and she was gone before the next election. I assume that Labour does not just let the MPs vote on the leader...

The UK is gearing up for an apparent General Election likely in May so I assume it is too late to chose a new leader. the Tories are pro-war and still in denial about Europe so they're not going to win. The Lib Dems are not in a position to challenge Labour either.

Is it possible that if Labour wins in May but looses a significant number of seats that they can oust Blair and pick a new leader (and therefore PM) ?

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Oh, look. The brits mourn their dead. How pre 9/11. eom

[Briar]

11. If only

The only MP with the guts to blame Bliar's desire to help Bush for the deaths of those three soldiers was Alex Salmond. For that honest action he was jumped on by Labour, Tories and Liberals alike. Evidently none of them wanted to be accused of painting the men's deaths as less "heroic" because they were the result of totally unscrupulous political calculation.