February 07, 2008

More Warnings Delivered On Afghanistan

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied that her surprise visit to Kandahar today was Washington's way of sticking it to NATO allies not doing their fair share in Afghanistan.

"It's just the rationale of being able to get outside of Kabul and see one of the areas that's been very active," Rice said before touching down, according to Reuters. "I don't think there's any message there to anyone."

Poignantly -- or not, if Rice's statement is taken at face value -- she and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband were touring Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold in the country's south. Most trips by top foreign dignitaries are confined to the much safer capital city of Kabul. Kandahar remains dangerous, but it is also a prime example of the effectiveness of NATO forces in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

And in what has over the years become a ritual, Afghan President Hamid Karzai denied there were tensions between his government and its Western allies.

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Posted at 12:00 PM
Posted to: Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Asia, Bush Administration, Condoleezza Rice, Europe, Germany, Robert Gates, Terrorism, U.K.
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February 06, 2008

What's The Point Of NATO, Anyway?

The U.S. and Britain have been fighting an uphill battle to win deeper commitments from NATO allies in Afghanistan. With recent independent reports warning that Afghanistan may be tipping back into failed statehood, and a critical upcoming vote in Canada that could determine that country's ongoing security contributions, NATO member nations are facing a kind of do-or-die moment.

The question at hand is: What is NATO's mission in the 21st century?

NATO was formed during the Cold War to fend off the Soviet threat. It was a mutual security pact, in which an attack on one was to be perceived as an attack on all.

After the 9/11 attacks, it became clear that al-Qaida was now the biggest threat facing the West. With little debate, NATO's mission was updated for the 21st century, and forces were sent to Afghanistan.

More than six years later, the success of NATO's fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida is in dispute. The war in Iraq sapped resources from Afghanistan, and more importantly sapped confidence in the United States' and Britain's leadership roles there. Nations have withdrawn forces over the last several years, and now the fighting -- and dying -- falls disproportionately on the U.S., Britain, the Netherlands and Canada.

Member nations privately blame the U.S. and Britain for being so preoccupied with the war in Iraq -- overwhelmingly unpopular among member nations -- that they delivered a seemingly half-hearted effort in Afghanistan. Washington and 10 Downing Street vehemently deny this is the case.

Without positing it directly, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is challenging member nations to remember the point of NATO and step up their contributions. "I do think the alliance is facing a real test here. And it is a test of the alliance's strength," she said at a press conference with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband today.

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Posted at 5:30 PM
Posted to: Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Bush Administration, Europe, Germany, Iraq, Middle East, Military, Pakistan, President Bush, Robert Gates, Terrorism, U.K.
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December 19, 2007

Time Gets It Right With Person Of The Year

After being mocked and ridiculed for its gimmicky 2006 pick, Time magazine reverted to heft with this year's choice: Russian President (for Life) Vladimir Putin.

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Posted at 12:33 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Campaigns, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Russia, U.K., WH 2008
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December 04, 2007

May U.K. Hostage-Taking In Iraq Revealed

Al-Arabiya television has broadcast video of five Britons missing since May 29 in Iraq, BBC News reports. In the tape, dated Nov. 18, gunmen threaten to kill one of the hostages if British troops do not begin pulling out in 10 days.

The kidnapping is just coming to light because the U.K. Foreign Office had asked the media to back off on coverage while it negotiated the men's release, according to BBC News. The gunmen say they are from a group called the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq. The hostages are four guards and a computer expert.

Posted at 2:37 PM
Posted to: Europe, Iraq, Middle East, U.K.
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November 12, 2007

Blaze Hits London's Olympic Park

Plumes of smoke rising into the London sky set the city on high alert today. The fire turned out to be located in an empty warehouse being demolished to make way for the site of the 2012 Summer Games.

Firefighters are still battling the blaze; no injuries have been reported. An Olympic official said an investigation will be launched, but "initial indications would suggest that this was an accident rather than arson." London police added that there was no indication the fire was an act of terrorism.

The Olympic Delivery Authority released a statement confirming that the east London fire was at the Olympic Park site. The main stadium was set for construction near the site of the fire.

London will become the first city to host the modern Olympics three times, and its potentially seizure-inducing logo has already stirred up some controversy.

Posted at 12:29 PM
Posted to: Europe, Olympics, U.K.
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October 22, 2007

Muslim Live 8 Concert Raises Money For Darfur

London's Wembley Arena has played host to many high-profile concerts, including this summer's tribute to Princess Diana. But on Sunday, Wembley was the scene of a different kind of concert, one many are calling the first of its kind.

Ten thousand Muslims gathered at the arena for what is being dubbed Muslim Live 8, a concert to raise money for and awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The sold-out crowd heard music from Outlandish, an MTV award-winning hip-hop band, and Muslim-American country singer, Kareem Salama. But Sami Yusuf, labeled by Time as "Islam's biggest rock star," drew the most fervent cheers from fans.

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Posted to: Africa, Europe, Gordon Brown, Sudan, U.K.
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October 15, 2007

U.K. Watch: The Perils Of National Health Care

A survey of British dental patients has found that some are resorting to pulling out their own teeth as the number of dentists participating in the National Health Service drops, AFP reports.

Nearly half of dentists surveyed said they had stopped treating NHS patients. As a result, nearly 80 percent of Britons on private insurance said they were pushed there because they couldn't find an NHS dentist. Only 15 percent of those privately insured said their choice was based on quality of treatment.

"When you've got a severe toothache, you don't want to wait two or three weeks -- you need treatment straightaway," DIY patient Don Wilson told BBC News.

"It is a very foolish thing to do," scolded Liz Kay, dean of the Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth. BBC News has a report on the "pros and cons" of at-home dentistry.

Posted at 2:23 PM
Posted to: Europe, Health, U.K.
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September 28, 2007

New Vote On Iran Sanctions Delayed

UPDATED.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not go out of her way to hide her disappointment at the latest setback in U.S. efforts to clamp down further on Iran.

"The international community has to have a greater sense of urgency about some of these issues," she said, speaking to reporters at the U.N. this afternoon. "We have two unanimous Security Council resolutions in place on Iran. We're working on a third, and using that track to try to invigorate the negotiations track." Rice conceded that there was already a "certain level of cooperation in Iran."

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Posted at 3:25 PM
Posted to: Asia, Bush Administration, China, Condoleezza Rice, EU, Europe, France, Germany, IAEA, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Middle East, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, Terrorism, U.K., U.N.
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September 18, 2007

In Case You Missed It...

... we're going to war with Iran. France is on board, too. (With us, not Iran.)

What?

The surreality of global relations this week is enough to make us wonder if we're trapped inside one of John Bolton's fevered dreams. Let's untangle this web of crazy carefully, lest all our heads collectively explode.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is now seeking to assure allies that his country will "negotiate, negotiate, negotiate" before resorting to the option of war with Iran. On Sunday, the socialist ignited a firestorm when he told an interviewer, "We must prepare for the worst," adding, "The worst, sir, is war."

Kouchner said that France was "preparing" itself for the prospect of war in the event efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program were unsuccessful.

En route to a meeting with his counterpart in Moscow today, Kouchner sought to dial back his earlier remarks. "I do not want it said that I'm a warmonger. My message was one of peace, serious and determined," he told traveling reporters. Later, he blamed the media for running wild with what he'd said on Sunday. "As usual with journalists, they take one phrase and you don't know what came after," he said on a Russian radio talk show.

That's fair. Then again, maybe France picked a really bad time to propose Germany dump its historical baggage and dive into the nukes business.

Continue reading "In Case You Missed It..."

Posted at 6:30 PM
Posted to: Asia, Bush Administration, China, Europe, France, Germany, Iran, Middle East, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, Syria, Terrorism, U.K., U.N.
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Petraeus & Crocker Take Report To U.K.

After a grueling week of testimony, interviews and close public scrutiny in their home country, the top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Iraq flew to the United Kingdom to face an even tougher crowd.

Even though Britain's contribution in manpower and money to the war in Iraq has been far less than America's, resentment over the war and its costs arguably runs deeper across the pond. Tensions have grown worse since the departure of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch supporter of President Bush's foreign policies, and the pullout of nearly all British troops from Basra, their last stronghold in Iraq.

But in talks with new Prime Minister Gordon Brown today, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus had nothing but praise for the British armed services and their dedication to the fight in Iraq.

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Posted at 2:15 PM
Posted to: David Petraeus, Europe, Gordon Brown, Iraq, Military, U.K.
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August 07, 2007

Britain Seeks Release Of Five Gitmo Prisoners

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to release five former U.K. residents from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The move marks a shift in British policy toward the detention facility under new Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Brown's predecessor, Tony Blair, "generally held that the British government was not obliged to seek the release of Guantanamo inmates who had lived in Britain but did not hold citizenship," as is the case with the five men in question, the London Guardian reports.

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Posted to: Guantanamo Bay, U.K.
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July 30, 2007

Bush & Blair Brown: Still 'Special'

UPDATED.

Anyone looking for signs British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is distancing himself from Washington on the Iraq war will be gravely disappointed.

In a joint press conference at Camp David today, Brown and his host, President Bush, delivered a harmonious assessment of their relationship and the way forward in Iraq. Brown also seemed to take pains to step closer to Bush on the war.

"We strongly support a bold initiative to make early progress in the Mideast," Brown said, summing up the two leaders' Sunday night and Monday morning talks. "Afghanistan continues to be the front line in the war on terrorism. On Iran, we are in agreement that the sanctions are working."

Minutes later, as Bush and Brown took questions from reporters, Brown was asked whether he disagreed with Bush's assertion that Iraq is the new front line in the war on terror. Brown seemed to backtrack on his earlier response.

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Posted at 2:08 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Europe, Gordon Brown, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Tony Blair, U.K.
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Bush & Brown Get Down To Business

Newly minted British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived at Camp David last night, ready for his first official stateside visit with President Bush.

Eyes on both sides of the Atlantic are focused on the relationship between the two leaders. Some analysts predict British public opinion on Iraq will ensure that Brown will never draw as close to the president as former Prime Minister Tony Blair did; others point to Brown's statements calling the U.S.-U.K. alliance the country's “single most important bilateral relationship" and suggest they will enjoy a positive relationship.

Topics on tap for the rest of the two-day meeting: Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Iran and Kosovo.

Posted at 7:47 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Europe, Gordon Brown, President Bush, Tony Blair, U.K.
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July 25, 2007

Gadhafi: Still A Menace?

Libya's release of six Bulgarian medics who had been sentenced to die has earned that country loads of goodwill from Europe and the U.S. France's pledge of $400 million in compensation for the families who allege the group infected their children with HIV helped secure the deal; meanwhile, the EU is now preparing a substantial aid package for the northern African nation. President Bush recently named the first U.S. ambassador to Libya in more than three decades, and today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she looked forward to paying Tripoli a visit soon.

It's an odd reversal for a nation once considered to be a sponsor of terrorism. In the 1980s, Moammar Gadhafi was right up there with the late Ayatollah Khomeini on America's enemies list. An alliance of conservatives and human rights groups whose memories stretch back to the 1980s aren't happy with the turnabout.

Gadhafi's decision to give up his nuclear weapons logically precipitated warmer relations with the West, but the Wall Street Journal balks: "The blackmail habit is hard to shake, and rewarding a dictator for hostage-taking is fraught with moral hazards." A director of U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights complained, "This is really an outrageous case, in which the lives of these nurses and medic were literally ransomed for $400 million.... There is nothing to prevent the future scapegoating of foreign health workers and holding them hostage in exchange for foreign aid."

Indeed, the West's embrace of Gadhafi comes as Taliban militants hold a South Korean church group hostage in Afghanistan. One was killed earlier today.

Continue reading "Gadhafi: Still A Menace?"

Posted at 7:23 PM
Posted to: Africa, Bush Administration, Condoleezza Rice, Europe, France, Libya, Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism, Tony Blair, U.K.
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July 19, 2007

Russia-Britain Spy Probe Row More Than Just A Spat

Russia and Britain's diplomatic tit-for-tat is just the latest sign of escalating distrust between the former communist superpower and the West.

Moscow has expelled four British Embassy personnel in retaliation for Britain's decision on Monday to expel four Russian officials. That move was itself in retaliation for Russia's refusal to allow extradition of a former KGB officer who has been charged with a high-profile murder in London.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned Russia's response.

"We are disappointed that the Russian government should have signalled no new cooperation in the course of the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi," he told reporters. "We obviously believe that the decision to expel four embassy staff is completely unjustified."

Miliband also reminded Russia that most of the world community was siding with the U.K. in this fight. The EU called on Russia to hand over Lugovoi, as did Washington.

"This is an issue of rule of law to our minds, not an issue of politics," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters at a conference in Portugal. "It is a matter of Russia cooperating fully in what is simply an effort to solve what was a very terrible crime committed on British soil."

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Posted at 1:00 PM
Posted to: Russia, U.K., Vladimir Putin
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July 16, 2007

Four Russian Diplomats Expelled From U.K.

Angry with Moscow's lack of cooperation in a transcontinental murder probe, the British government plans to boot four yet-to-be-named Russian diplomats. BBC News reports that the targeted Russians may be intelligence officers.

Moscow has refused to hand over ex-KGB spy Andrei Lugovoi, who is suspected in the radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko last November. Litvinenko is also a former spy. After becoming a vocal critic of the Russian government, he fled to Britain and was granted asylum.

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Posted at 12:57 PM
Posted to: Europe, Russia, U.K.
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July 10, 2007

Al-Zawahiri Threatens U.K. Over Rushdie

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's No. 2, has promised a "very precise response" for the British knighthood conferred on novelist Salman Rushdie.

"The policy of your predecessor has brought tragedy and defeat upon you, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but also in the center of London," al-Zawahiri says in a 20-minute audio message released today, according to a translation by the SITE Institute. "And if you did not understand, listen, we are ready to repeat it for you, with the permission of Allah. We are sure that you have quite understood it."

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Posted at 2:02 PM
Posted to: Al-Qaida, Europe, U.K.
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July 06, 2007

Report: U.K. Bomb Plot Suspects Eyed U.S.

An Iraqi doctor is the first suspect to be charged in attempting bombings in London and Glasgow, AP reports.

Bilal Abdullah, 27, is believed to have been riding in a Jeep Cherokee that was loaded with gasoline canisters and driven into Glasgow's airport last Saturday. "I have now made the decision that there is sufficient evidence and authorized the charging of Bilal Abdullah with conspiracy to cause explosions following incidents in London and Glasgow," said British prosecutor Susan Hemming.

BBC News has just obtained new video of the Glasgow crash; it contains graphic images.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that two of the doctors being held in the attacks may have attempted to come to the United States. Sources said Mohammed Jamil Asha, 26, and a suspect who hasn't been identified inquired about enrolling in graduate medical programs with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a national organization based in Philadelphia.

Posted at 4:02 PM
Posted to: Europe, Terrorism, U.K.
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July 03, 2007

U.K. Terror Scare Puts U.S. Cities On Alert

As has been the case on every Fourth of July since the 9/11 attacks, many Americans will be chomping on hot dogs and waving tiny American flags as heavily armed police and security forces stand by.

CNN reports that the Transportation Security Administration is dispatching special counterterrorism teams to subway and commuter systems in eight major cities: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The extra precautions are being taken as British officials seek to unravel what looks to have been an unsophisticated but coordinated car bomb attack in that country. The relative ease of assembling a crude car bomb in a major metropolitan area has security officials on both sides of the pond re-evaluating their anti-terrorism strategies.

BBC News, the Guardian and the Telegraph have the latest on the British investigation.

Posted at 1:05 PM
Posted to: Europe, Terrorism, U.K.
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July 02, 2007

U.K. To Rethink Detainee Policies Following Terror Plot

Britain is on its highest-level terror alert as officials scramble to head off what The Economist is calling that nation's "dreadful summer ritual" -- coordinated homegrown plots by Islamic radicals.

Officials believe the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow may have been part of a coordinated plot. Seven people, all of whom are believed to be foreigners, have been arrested.

This is the second consecutive year Britain has thwarted a potentially massive terror plot since the 7/7 London transit attacks in 2005. In a statement to the British Commons today, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the government might rethink its detention policies for suspected terrorists.

"There may well be a case for looking very carefully at the amount of time that we are able to detain people pre-charge in order to ensure the very best opportunity to bring convictions," she said.

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Posted at 10:39 AM
Posted to: Europe, Terrorism, Tony Blair, U.K.
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June 29, 2007

Thwarted Car Bomb Attack Tests Brown's Government

UPDATED.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's still-forming government is being put to the test on just his second full day on the job. A foiled car bomb attack in central London has Britain on high alert.

Scotland Yard reported this afternoon that the plot was more extensive than it may have initially feared, when authorities found a second car with explosives linked to the car near Piccadilly Circus found this morning. The second device -- found in a Mercedes, like the first -- was apparently left in a car parked illegally underground near Trafalgar Square. After it was towed to an area near Buckingham Palace, workers smelled gasoline, and because gas containers had been found in the first car, they investigated and uncovered bomb parts.

Three suspects were being sought in connection to the thwarted bombings. U.S. officials told NBC News that the three men have been identified and are said to be from near Birmingham, a heavily Muslim area of the country. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Posted at 5:15 PM
Posted to: Europe, Gordon Brown, U.K.
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June 26, 2007

Blair To Be Named Envoy

Tony Blair won't be available for tea after he leaves 10 Downing Street.

Instead, he'll be shuttling between the Palestinians and Israelis as the special envoy for the Mideast Quartet. The outgoing British prime minister wouldn't confirm the appointment, but AP quotes Blair as saying from London, "I think that anybody who cares about greater peace and stability in the world knows that a lasting and enduring resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue is essential.... As I have said on many occasions, I would do whatever I could to help such a resolution come about."

AP also reports that the members of the international diplomatic Quartet -- the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia -- plan to make simultaneous announcements from Washington, New York, Brussels and Moscow tomorrow.

Posted at 1:30 PM
Posted to: Europe, Middle East, Tony Blair, U.K.
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June 18, 2007

Rushdie Knighting Sparks Outcry

Pakistan and Iran are protesting vociferously after the announcement over the weekend that controversial novelist Salman Rushdie was to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

The lower house of the Pakistani parliament passed a resolution today condemning the knighthood, calling it an insult to Muslims worldwide. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, who introduced the resolution, referred to Rushdie as a "blasphemer." Religious Affairs Minister Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq was initially quoted as saying the knighthood would justify terror attacks against the West, but he later insisted his statement had been mistranslated.

In the city of Multan, protesters took to the streets and burned effigies of both Rushdie and the queen.

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Posted at 4:50 PM
Posted to: Asia, Iran, Middle East, Pakistan, U.K.
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June 07, 2007

London 2012 Logo: Look At Your Own Risk

The newly unveiled logo for the 2012 Summer Games in London is just sickening. Literally.

A promotional video starring the neon-colored, jagged-edged image has prompted nearly 20 complaints from people claiming the animation set off seizures. Noted neurophysicist Graham Harding told BBC News that the ad failed a machine test used by the TV industry to test images for safety. A nonprofit group called Epilepsy Action called for the logo to be scrapped after receiving "numerous complaints" of seizures from viewers of the ad.

And in an ominous statement, the group warned organizers against allowing the logo to be broadcast worldwide as planned. "We are concerned that the animated footage will not just be shown in the UK, where half a million people in the population have epilepsy, but it will also be shown all over the world."

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Posted at 2:14 PM
Posted to: U.K.
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May 17, 2007

Bush And Blair's Long Kiss Goodnight

The sight of President Bush and Tony Blair defiantly defending their relationship at the White House today will probably inspire snickers from the "Daily Show" set, but the palpable solidarity the two men share will be one of the most defining legacies of the Iraq war.

In his final visit to Washington as Britain's prime minister, Blair gave a joint press conference with Bush in the Rose Garden following private briefings on Iraq. Blair will step down after 10 years in office next month, and he leaves under heavy criticism back home. More specifically, he leaves under the widespread British taunt that he'd become Bush's "poodle," following the American leader blindly into a war that seems to many unwinnable.

But both men disputed that characterization today, and Bush quickly lost patience with some particularly pointed questions from members of the British press.

"You're tap dancing on his political grave, aren't you?" Bush retorted, after a reporter repeated earlier questions about whether Washington should even be speaking with Blair considering his departure date and the coronation of his successor, Gordon Brown, by the British press.

"He happens to be your prime minister," Bush pointedly told the reporter. "And more importantly, he is a respected man in the international community. People admire him, even if they don't agree with him 100 percent. He's effective."

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Posted at 2:15 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Europe, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Tony Blair, U.K.
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May 16, 2007

Prince Harry Not Going To Iraq

UPDATED.

Prince Harry will not be deployed to Iraq as planned because it has been determined that he would be "a magnet for jihadists" there.

A statement issued by Prince Charles' office today said Harry is "very disappointed" that he will not be deployed, but that he "fully understands and accepts" the decision.

The decision to keep the prince at home while his fellow officers in the Blues and Royals are shipped off to that war zone was first reported by Britain's Sky News. It comes a little more than two weeks after the Defense Ministry announced the 22-year-old would do his tour just like everyone else in his regiment. Prince Harry, who is third in line for the throne, had resisted calls to keep him out of Iraq.

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Posted at 2:13 PM
Posted to: Iraq, Middle East, U.K.
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May 10, 2007

Bye-Bye, Blair

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will leave office June 27, leaving President Bush bereft of his most steadfast foreign ally. His resignation announcement today may have offered a preview of what Americans will be in for when Bush's departure in early 2009 nears.

Blair cast his lot with Bush following 9/11 and the decision to go to war with Iraq. It was the biggest gamble of the Labour Party leader's career, and, perhaps, his costliest. Blair's sinking approval ratings have dovetailed with Bush's.

And yet, as Blair noted in his farewell speech, it could have been otherwise.

Continue reading "Bye-Bye, Blair"

Posted at 3:15 PM
Posted to: Europe, Iraq, President Bush, Tony Blair, U.K.
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May 08, 2007

Historic Moment In Northern Ireland

Today's swearing-in of Northern Ireland's newly elected first minister, Ian Paisley, marks the first shared Catholic-Protestant government in Belfast. Paisley's deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, belongs to the Sinn Fein party; Paisley had once boycotted the party for its links to the Irish Republican Army.

"It is a special day because we're making a new beginning," Paisley said. "I believe we're starting on a road which will bring us back to peace and to prosperity."

Posted at 8:02 AM
Posted to: Europe, U.K.
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May 07, 2007

White House Hails The Queen

UPDATED.

President Bush welcomed Queen Elizabeth II with a formal 21-gun salute on the White House South Lawn today and a speech that could be distilled thusly: "The terrorists are out to get us," and "My, you're old."

After praising the two nations they represent as sharing a "deep and abiding love of liberty," Bush said the allies were staying on the offense against "those who murder the innocent to advance a hateful ideology."

Not exactly the usual tea-time fare.

Continue reading "White House Hails The Queen"

Posted at 12:56 PM
Posted to: Europe, President Bush, U.K.
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May 02, 2007

Are U.K. Pols Braver Than American Ones?

The reviews are in on George Tenet's new apologia, and they are mostly not good. The ever-economical editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer today described the former CIA chief's book as an "exercise in keister-covering" -- under the headline, "A Schmoozer's Lament."

Most of the criticism can be distilled into this question: Why did Tenet wait until 2007 to go public with objections he had about the invasion of Iraq while it was still just a glint in President Bush's eye?

Because he couldn't without risking his job, seems the obvious answer. Tenet is not alone in waiting until he was out of the Bush administration's reach to reveal long-held criticisms of former bosses and colleagues: Richard Clark and Paul O'Neill have done it as well.

But across the pond, a sitting British official has given a lengthy, detailed account of mistakes made during the planning and execution phase of the war.

Continue reading "Are U.K. Pols Braver Than American Ones?"

Posted at 11:57 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, George Tenet, Iraq, U.K.
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April 12, 2007

Tony Blair Touches Off Imus-Like Flap

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come under fire for advising community leaders to do away with "political correctness" and acknowledge that London's rising gang violence mostly involves young blacks.

"When are we going to start saying this is a problem amongst a section of the black community and not, for reasons of political correctness, pretend that this is nothing to do with it?" Blair said, in an address delivered yesterday to the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce. "The black community -- the vast majority of whom in these communities are decent, law-abiding people horrified at what is happening -- need to be mobilised in denunciation of this gang culture that is killing innocent young black kids. But we won't stop this by pretending it isn't young black kids doing it."