HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Guardian. 12 March 2003. US may go it alone as Blair is caught in diplomatic deadlock. WASHINGTON -- Washington was forced to admit for the first time last night that it might have to start the war against Iraq without British forces because of the internal political problems heaping up for Tony Blair. The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said that Mr Blair's difficulties had caused the White House to contemplate going to war without its closest ally. After talks with the his British counterpart, Geoff Hoon, Mr Rumsfeld said yesterday that the British role in an assault was now "unclear" and that Washington was well aware that the Blair government's freedom of action might be restrained by a rebellious parliament. "Their situation is distinctive to their country and they have a government that deals with a parliament in their distinctive way," Mr Rumsfeld said. "And what will ultimately be decided is unclear as to their role; that is to say, their role in the event a decision is made to use force." The admission came amid growing tension between Washington and London on the diplomatic front. Sharp differences have emerged over the British strategy in pursuit of a second United Nations security council resolution authorising war against Iraq. The British government insisted yesterday that it was close to winning over the six "undecideds" and that the vote will go ahead this week. Mr Rumsfeld said that if Britain failed to participate in the initial assault, it could still have a role in the post-Saddam policing of Iraq. Going to war without British troops would represent a serious complication for US military planners, who are already struggling to craft an alternative to using Turkey as a launchpad for a northern offensive. The absence of Britain from the invasion force would also represent a serious political blow for President Bush, who has sought to convince American public opinion that he is not acting unilaterally. Mr Rumsfeld said discussions on the issue were under way between Washington and London on a "daily or every other day basis," and that the prospect of going to war without Britain was now being actively contemplated. "That is an issue that the president will be addressing in the days ahead, one would assume," he said. Mr Rumsfeld's comments and Mr Blair's intensive attempts to garner more support for a second resolution mean that the next 72 hours could be the most dangerous of the prime minister's time in power. Failure to secure the resolution might force him to accept that British forces cannot participate in the invasion. According to British sources, Washington is alarmed at the extent to which the British government is prepared to be flexible in offering compromises to the six "undecided" votes on the security council. Cameroon, Guinea, Angola, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan acted in concert yesterday to demand that the proposed US-British ultimatum, set last week for March 17, be extended to allow Iraq 45 days to disarm. They also suggested that the Saddam Hussein be given a short list of disarmament tasks to complete. The White House spokes man, Ari Fleischer, insisted that the proposal to push back the March 17 deadline by a month was "a non-starter." But the UK ambassador to the UN, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, offered the six an extension of the ultimatum to the end of the month and was ready to concede ground over the benchmarks. British sources hinted that Mr Bush was becoming both impatient and alarmed at being dragged into an increasingly messy process. Mr Blair desperately needs that second resolution to prevent revolt by his ministers and MPs. A sense of panic gripped Downing Street on Monday after the French president, Jacques Chirac, announced in a televised interview that he would veto the resolution. Mr Blair has apparently been told that by government lawyers that without a second resolution, it will be illegal for Britain to participate in war. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^================================================================
