Regards, Ivan
Posted on 09/06/2002 12:14:27 AM PDT by MadIvan
Tony Blair has indicated that he is ready to risk seeing British service personnel injured or killed in a war with Iraq.
In a statement that will dismay his domestic critics, but raise his standing in the US before his weekend visit for talks with President Bush, the Prime Minister promised that Britain would be alongside the Americans "when the shooting starts".
Mr Blair also agreed that Britain's willingness to "pay the blood price" was part of the special relationship with America.
His remarks, in a television interview, will add to demands for him to recall Parliament and produce his promised dossier of evidence that Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction. Many MPs are irritated that Mr Blair should have made a public statement in his Sedgefield constituency - at a press conference earlier this week - about the prospect of war, but not in Parliament.
The Conservatives, who support military action, say Parliament should be recalled after the evidence against Iraq has been produced.
Iain Duncan Smith said yesterday: "Now that I've heard the Prime Minister wants to publish a dossier I would encourage him to do that as soon as possible, preferably in the next few days, and when he's done that then I think after that we should have a debate.
"I think it would be better to have an informed debate rather than just a debate."
Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's a sad day if democratic forums like the House of Commons are silent while the discussion is going on literally everywhere else."
Privately, Liberal Democrats are saying they want Parliament to reassemble next week, so that Mr Blair can report on his talks with Mr Bush in Camp David.
What they fear is that the Government will publish its evidence immediately before the Labour Party conference, which starts on Sept 30, when the Liberal Democrats' conference will have finished.
Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, dismissed the idea that MPs be recalled now, but indicated that they would be if a war began.
"The Prime Minister said that action is neither imminent nor is it inevitable, so therefore it is not an urgent case for Parliament," he said.
However, he added later: "In practical terms it is not conceivable that Britain could embark on military action without the support in the House of Commons."
Mr Blair made his comments for a documentary about the relationship between British prime ministers and American presidents. It was recorded five weeks ago. When asked if Britain's willingness to "pay the blood price" was part of the special relationship between the two countries, Mr Blair said it was.
"What's important is at that moment of crisis, they don't need to know simply that you're giving general expressions of support and sympathy. That's easy, frankly.
"They need to know are you prepared to commit, are you prepared to be there, and when the shooting starts are you prepared to be there."
In the interview, for Hotline to the President, to be shown on BBC2 on Sunday, Mr Blair was asked whether he would be able to stop America attacking Iraq if he disagreed with the policy.
"I would never back America if I thought they were doing something wrong," he said. "But I've never found that and I don't expect to find it in the future."
The programme shows that Saddam has been a preoccupation for the two leaders for a long time. Sir Christopher Meyer, the British ambassador to Washington, reveals that when Mr Blair and Mr Bush met for the first time in Feb 2001, Iraq was the first item on the agenda.
In his interview, Mr Blair praised the American president as a man to work with. "The thing that has impressed me most is that he's really direct, he's really to the point, he's very straight and he's extremely easy to deal with," Mr Blair said.
"There's no hidden agenda, or undercurrents to the conversation. It's down to business and everything's out in the open and discussed properly."
This is a calculated slap in the face to Weird Bill, my friends - Ivan
In a speech today Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, will stress the need for setting some kind of timetable for action against Iraq.
Regards, Ivan
I thought he was friends with the impeached ex-President. What happened?
Hear! Hear! Jolly good show!
He was Buddies with German Chancellor Schroeder, too. Sounds like Mrs. Blair will have to do some heavy duty editing of the Christmas card list this year.
Regards, Ivan
Bush is light years ahead of Clinton in character and honesty. Tell Tony to fire away at Mob Boss Clinton.
What happened between Wierd Bill and Tony, I thought they were bringing on the Third Way!!
Or was it the Third Wave!??
Well Hang Ten, then, "Dude". ;)
Blair and Clinton got on less well than is widely perceived. If you read it through a couple of times, you'll see, it is jamming hot needles into Clinton's eyes.
Regards, Ivan
Looks like we are getting closer to Show Time!
Excellent. Thanks for the post and the ping! The British are our best Allies !In his interview, Mr Blair praised the American president as a man to work with. "The thing that has impressed me most is that he's really direct, he's really to the point, he's very straight and he's extremely easy to deal with," Mr Blair said.
"There's no hidden agenda, or undercurrents to the conversation. It's down to business and everything's out in the open and discussed properly."
This is a calculated slap in the face to Weird Bill, my friends - Ivan
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That's kind of foolish. The impeached ex-President has a strong allergic reaction to telling the truth, so even if he got a commitment it wouldn't have meant anything. Just so long as he never let Mrs. Blair be alone with the impeached ex-President, he's O.K.
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