Posted on 10/25/2012 5:16:42 PM PDT by markomalley
The British government rejected U.S. requests to use military bases in the United Kingdom as part of a build-up in the Gulf, citing legal concerns that a pre-emptive strike on Iran would violate international law, The Guardian reported.
Citing unnamed U.K. officials, the Guardian reported that the United States has made informal requests for access to British bases in Cypress and British territories in the Atlantic and Indian oceans as part of contingency planning for Iran.
But British ministers have responded with legal advice from the U.K. attorney generals office that says Iran does not currently represent a clear and present danger.
As a result, providing assistance to U.S. forces potentially involved in a strike on Iran would violate international law, according to the Guardian.
The UK would be in breach of international law if it facilitated what amounted to a pre-emptive strike on Iran," said a British defense official. It is explicit. The government has been using this to push back against the Americans.
The Obama administration has not made a formal request to the British government for military access. U.K. officials said they did not believe there was any movement toward a conflict, but that the United States was exploring the British position on the use of bases.
Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to request for comment on the report. A U.S. State Department official told the Guardian: "The U.S. and the U.K. co-ordinate on all kinds of subjects all the time, on a huge range of issues. We never speak on the record about these types of conversations."
The Obama administration says it wants a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, although President Obama has said he will not rule out using military force to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, while the United States and its allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
I wonder if they'll change their mind after Nov. 6th.
Sorry UK, from here on out, you are on your own, good luck with fighting off the muslims who are overunning your country.
Can’t blame the Brits one bit...
serves obama right
More than likely their refusal comes from fear of the Muslims in the UK.
They also don’t want another Iraq.
No, we are not going to let you use our bases for some cockamamy "October Surprise" so you can look macho to the American voters.
Given the way Obama has treated the British for the last three years, I wouldn't be surprised if they just laughed and hung up the phone.
It’s a shame to loose the UK. Being such a poor country, they just can’t afford it.
Color me cynical, but I think the request was only meant to look as if we were doing something. O knew the answer before he asked.
Agree. The Brits owe the dork nothing.
And we owe the dork impeachment.
At the very least.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear in a joint press conference with Cristina Kirchner in Buenos Aires in March 2010 that the Obama administration fully backs Argentinas calls for negotiations over the Falkands.
...shame this didn’t come up at the last debate.
Well, there goes Diego Garcia and a place to for our B-52's.
I do not know what is worse, the General Staff under the Bush Administration or utter stupidity of the Obama Administration.
When the Iraq war began, actually the build up began, I went to GlobalSecurity.org. I mapped out military assets, like 10,000 foot long airstrips in Iraq. I drew concentric circles on a map to show the power we could project based on aircraft type. Take note, we don't control those assets any longer. Apparently, it wasn't strategic to the Bush Administration and obviously the Obama Administration is completely clueless when it comes to anything more than thug gang violence.
I didn't care two craps about WND's arguments in Iraq. I cared about projecting power over our enemies. The war in Iraq was right. Iraqis are Muslims. They are our enemy. They had the ground to project our power on Iran, Jordan, Saudi, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. Our objective should have been three fold, destroy our enemy (Muslims) in Iraq, capture their airfields and other infrastructure of our own use, and to take their oil in compensation for our efforts.
This is the way you win a war, save American lives, and American tax dollars. Terrorism should have been over eight years ago and gas should be $0.40 per gallon today.
Are there any NAMED sources? If not, remember folks, this IS the “Guardian”.
The British neutered themselves, they have decided to sacrifice themselves at the altar of PC. A thousand years later, and the muslims claim victory over the christians during the crusades. Enjoy dhimmitude england.
Have to remember this next time the Brits need help in the Falklands.
i have to agree with the Brits
Iram is going to have to take some direct action, and I include in that direct action vis-a-vis Israel
in order to justify a U.S. bombing raid
until then
sanctions & increasing and spreading them, isolation, and containment will have to do, as we have done with Korea
we have the ability, without bombing Iran, to make it as dark and desolate at night as is North Korea, and more so than North Korea an informed opposition in Iran could yet topple the Mullahs, with those steps continued, broadened and tightened
the real issue with Iran is not its nuclear program
it’s the dictators in charge
This is likely a return to British policy to support the Arabs and screw Israel.
Is “Cypress” anywhere near Cyprus? IIRC, we have been flying recon missions out of RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus for some time now.
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