UK report: Riding pillion with Bush is a hazard to your health
db:The lead story on the BBC radio Worldservice is that the UK government has rejected today's Chatham House security report 'Security, Terrorism and the UK'. Whilst the governments response to this document is important, it is patently not the lead story. The lead story, naturally, is the report itself, but sadly the BBC allowed the government's attack dog John Reid to wax on about the necessity of 'confronting the school bully' ahead of any remotely serious attempt at analyzing the document.
In the first [of four] papers in the report, Frank Gregory and Paul Wilkinson reflect on the UK's performance in the war on terrorism. Clip below and link to [pdf] report
"A key problem with regard to implementing 'Prevention' and 'Pursuit' is that the UK government has been conducting counter-terrorism policy 'shoulder to shoulder' with the US, not in the sense of being an equal decision-maker, but rather as pillion passenger compelled to leave the steering to the ally in the driving seat. There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism. It gave a boost to the Al-Qaeda network's propaganda, recruitment and fundraising, caused a major split in the coalition, provided an ideal targeting and training area for Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, and deflected resources and assistance that could have been deployed to assist the Karzai government and to bring bin Laden to justice. Riding pillion with a powerful ally has proved costly in terms of British and US military lives, Iraqi lives, military expenditure, and the damage caused to the counter-terrorism campaign." Link to [pdf]
John Reid's point about the 'school bully' is classic attack-dog. Part of the problem with Mr Reid's analysis is that in this scenario yes, the school had a bully - but it wasn't our school. That school's bully was on a brutal and severe program of 'rehabilitation' - which had resulted in the removal of all threat of further acts of bullying from the now tame, if not reformed, offender.
Standing up to the school bully is not the same as invading Iraq. Standing up to Hitler is not the same as invading Iraq. Standing up to bin Laden is not the same as invading Iraq [in fact, as the report states - the Iraq invasion has been a hindrance in this regard]. Winning 'the war of terror' is not the same as invading Iraq. Getting the hell out of Iraq is not 'giving in to terror'.
Iraq was a blunder - and Blair is part of it. Why has it been so bad for the 'war of terror'? Because it was an unjust war - simple. Everyone knows that.
In the first [of four] papers in the report, Frank Gregory and Paul Wilkinson reflect on the UK's performance in the war on terrorism. Clip below and link to [pdf] report
"A key problem with regard to implementing 'Prevention' and 'Pursuit' is that the UK government has been conducting counter-terrorism policy 'shoulder to shoulder' with the US, not in the sense of being an equal decision-maker, but rather as pillion passenger compelled to leave the steering to the ally in the driving seat. There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism. It gave a boost to the Al-Qaeda network's propaganda, recruitment and fundraising, caused a major split in the coalition, provided an ideal targeting and training area for Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, and deflected resources and assistance that could have been deployed to assist the Karzai government and to bring bin Laden to justice. Riding pillion with a powerful ally has proved costly in terms of British and US military lives, Iraqi lives, military expenditure, and the damage caused to the counter-terrorism campaign." Link to [pdf]
John Reid's point about the 'school bully' is classic attack-dog. Part of the problem with Mr Reid's analysis is that in this scenario yes, the school had a bully - but it wasn't our school. That school's bully was on a brutal and severe program of 'rehabilitation' - which had resulted in the removal of all threat of further acts of bullying from the now tame, if not reformed, offender.
Standing up to the school bully is not the same as invading Iraq. Standing up to Hitler is not the same as invading Iraq. Standing up to bin Laden is not the same as invading Iraq [in fact, as the report states - the Iraq invasion has been a hindrance in this regard]. Winning 'the war of terror' is not the same as invading Iraq. Getting the hell out of Iraq is not 'giving in to terror'.
Iraq was a blunder - and Blair is part of it. Why has it been so bad for the 'war of terror'? Because it was an unjust war - simple. Everyone knows that.
posted by exoplanet at 11:13 AM
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