Fanatic (Blair) Holds His Party Hostage

[GoBlue]

Iain Macwhirter examines whether the fate of Ken Bigley will prompt a Labour rebellion this week

If I hear one more pundit saying his heart goes out to Tony Blair in this terrible hostage crisis, I will explode. Politicians from across the political spectrum, from Diane Abbott to Michael Portillo, have been feeling the Prime Minister’s pain. What a terrible time for him; what a tragic dilemma; how right to remain resolute in the face of blackmail. You would think this was all about the hostage in Number 10 rather than a 62-year-old man in a Baghdad dungeon.
Yes, of course you don’t negotiate with terrorists – though nearly every other country in the world does it. However, there is something slightly offensive in the way we are all being urged to commiserate with Tony Blair in his moment of trial. After all, who got us into this in the first place?

Who was it that talked about the “blood price” we had to pay to disarm Saddam? Well, is the blood price a severed head in a Baghdad gutter?

This prime minister, unlike any I have known, is a crisis junkie who has a love affair with adversity. Like many leaders with strong religious beliefs, he seems to need his faith to be tested. <snip>

http://www.sundayherald.com/44975

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Love your graphic.... too bad it's true. N/T

[Cha]

2. Thanks for this from Iain MacWhirter..I've been getting behind

on ol' tony's situation what with the most important election in the history of the World coming up.

The British people do believe in fighting for just causes, and would pay any price for the defence of liberty. But not for George W Bush’s re-election.

This was an extraordinarily inopportune moment for Blair to try to launch another war in Iraq. The country is lurching into civil war. Westerners dare not venture on to the streets, even of downtown Baghdad, without a military escort. Even in Basra, British troops are increasingly being confined to barracks. Blair is beginning to sound not just messianic, but seriously out of touch with events.

Does he really believe that there is the stomach for another fight? Does he really suppose that the British people, a majority of whom want a date for withdrawal, will accept thousands more British soldiers being sent to Iraq before Christmas? Presumably the Prime Minister believes that “one more heave” will be enough to save Iraq for democracy. But little more than a third of the electorate believe that the first war has been worth it.

[Cha]

3. I don't think tony's going to get his

"thousands more for Iraq" ..I hope not!