06-03-2003 17:21									#1
	A glimmer of hope? - The UK seeks compromise on UN resolution Enter the AD-FREE zone

From the BBC:

quote: Reports from the United Nations say Britain is proposing changes to the planned new Security Council resolution it is tabling on Iraq, to allow President Saddam Hussein a final opportunity to disarm peacefully.

Is Blair softening?

	06-03-2003 17:28									#2
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I will wait to hear this from Blair before I believe it, if it is, I hope the Tory's eat him for breakfast ... (unless there is a cunning plan behind it all, that the American's are fully aware of).

Traditionally the UK has always tried to act as the bridge between the US and the EU (or at least it thinks it has), but in this case, the chasm is so huge, it simply made sence to sit on the side your most agreeable with. If Blair is wanting to play the bridge again, he is sure to fall to his death.

	06-03-2003 17:47									#3
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Blair is looking at the UK opinion polls which suggest about 24% support a war without a further resolution but nearer 75% support with a resolution. It is an attempt to give the other UNSC members a last chance to go with a compromise that will allow a US led, UK supported, invasion of Iraq.

Blair is not softening, merely trying to minimise the domestic fallout when the invasion starts. He needs a second resolution which can be presented as authorising war, otherwise he probably won't last as Prime Minister, particularly if it goes badly.

	06-03-2003 18:08									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

The BBC is stating now that its just one of many different idea's they are considering .. so it may not be the case.

Blair has wanted the 2nd UN resolution for quite a while (am i wrong, but wasn't it the French that first spoke about a 2nd resolution ??) and your certainly correct CerberusIV that if he wants the UK public to support the war, it needs a 2nd resolution.

But Blair to his credit has simply done what he thinks is correct, rather than play to polls .. if he starts trying to sit pretty in the middle between the US and France/Germany, he will end up becoming irrelevant himself.

	06-03-2003 18:09									#5
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

2 replies in and Cerebus said what I was going to. This is a good move by the Brits and should be accepted with minimalist grumbling by the US.

	06-03-2003 18:19									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Too little, too late.
300,000 troops haven't been put in the region for Hussein to now agree to change his ways.
Besides, it's just another ploy on his part.

	06-03-2003 18:21									#7
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

the question i have is, is blair right for listening to the people, or living up to his pledge to help bush? which is more important?

	06-03-2003 18:22									#8
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by MRT144 the question i have is, is blair right for listening to the people, or living up to his pledge to help bush? which is more important?

I think he is doing both, UK opinion is swinging back towards his position anyway

	06-03-2003 18:40									#9
	Tired of ads?

isn't it also the case that Blair is trying to avoid the Russians vetoing any hardline resolution?

	06-03-2003 19:03									#10
	Put an end to popups!

News at lunchtime today.

UK is suggesting amendments to the proposed second resolution something along the lines of giving Saddam 1 final week to disarm. Aparently this amendment is supported by the UA and is picking up from a previous disregarded suggestion Russians a few weeks ago.

On a related matter its my belief that President “Red Neck” Bush made a serious miscalculation with the first resolution. Bush wants war regardless (to support his political agenda and cus his dada asked him to finish what he couldn’t). The first resolution was a smokescreen i.e. Bush expected to use it to justify his forthcoming unjust war and its backfired on him.

Weve been inspecting for 3 months, using CIA intelligence, satellite imaging and god knows what other technology to find the so call WMD. Where are they?????? Not one piece of credible evidence i.e. a biological bomb shell, lab samples etc has been produced yet. No evidence no war and that’s the problem Bush/Blair have.

Bush want a war and hes seeking to justify it via the UN, he just didn’t reckon on the UN (aka France, Germany etc.) having the backbone to stand up to him, couldn’t even buy the Turkish support with X Billion $ he tried to bribe them with.

STOP BUSH hes a warmongering germ.

	06-03-2003 19:14									#11
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

"On a related matter its my belief that President “Red Neck” Bush "

As opposed to a redneck Brit, I suppose.
Don't believe I hear Bush saying things of any similarity to your fine analogy.

Last edited by SlowwHand on 06-03-2003 at 19:23

	06-03-2003 21:01									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

I thought rednecks were a institution solely located in the good ol' USA old boy?

We have brummies if you want an local equivalent?

	06-03-2003 21:04									#13
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

council estate scum is quite good( Dom Jolly)

	07-03-2003 00:08									#14
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Blair's ploy is really quite clever.

Once Saddam hears that this new last-chance resolution has passed, he laugh himself to death.

	07-03-2003 00:32									#15
	Inflate your Upload Space

Well, it's obvious the US has attempted to buy some votes here. I wonder how much of this IRAQ has done. Maybe the French, Germans and Russians aren't mouthing off out of principle, but from having a full pocket. Hmmmmm

	07-03-2003 00:59									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Bush & Blair aren't getting their UN warrant.

Damage control in action. Blair is making himself a loophole.

	07-03-2003 01:05									#17
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

It seems pretty clear to me that Bush is going to bend over backwards to give Blair the resolution he needs. No harm in giving it a week or two.

	07-03-2003 02:22									#18
	Inflate your Upload Space

Both Bush and Blair need a face saving way out of this nightmare. They've overplayed their hands considerably. There's just too much money at stake for France, Germany and Russia to go along with a war.

All Bush is really upset about is that when the UN finally does turn on the oil spiggot, the Iraqis will reward France, Germany and Russia with all the contracts to rebuild their petroleum infrastructure. Bush's oil buddies won't get a penny.

If Saddam had any brains, he'd "find" a couple dozen missiles, blow them up in front of the UN inspectors and then execute some stooge in the military for disobeying his orders to comply fully with the UN mandate. If he had a lot of brains, he'd prop up some puppet and then officially resign his position. Unfortunately, he's even more of an egomaniac than Bush.

	07-03-2003 02:25									#19
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Both Bush and Blair need a face saving way out of this nightmare.

Why does Bush need a way to save face on this one? He has his predicates lined up just fine.

	07-03-2003 02:41									#20
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

If Bush forces a vote but can't even get the 9 votes to pass it will be a diplomatic embarassment of epic proportions.

	07-03-2003 02:43									#21
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

So what?

	07-03-2003 02:46									#22
	Suffering from ads?

Indeed. Bush is about to transform himself from the leader of the free world to the laughingstock of the entire world.

Diplomacy is a game for professionals and Bush right now looks like a rank amateur.

	07-03-2003 03:09									#24
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

A good article that outlines the essence of what is going on:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...3-2003Mar5.html

	07-03-2003 03:32									#25
	Increase Your PM Length

Now it is even more clear that going to the UN was a mistake. Some war talk before attacking does help: it makes the attacker look less evil. But when war talk goes on for too long, it unnecessarily unnerves people, and the effect changes sign: from positive to negative. Add to that all the dirty methods (deception, bullying, bribing) the US government has been using to make its case through the UN, and it becomes no wonder that the cause of war is now in such a setback.

The hawks were right. Colin Powell was wrong. And he already paid for that personally: he damaged his personal credibility and ridiculed himself by delivering that BS speech at the UNSC.

	07-03-2003 03:35									#26
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by rah Maybe the French, Germans and Russians aren't mouthing off out of principle, but from having a full pocket. Hmmmmm

Out of principle too.

	07-03-2003 03:42									#27
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

he damaged his personal credibility and ridiculed himself by delivering that BS speech at the UNSC

Well, his main thesis was that Saddam was not cooperating and I think he did in fact prove that. Even Blixy Boy had to admit that Saddam wasn't all the cooperative. The other stuff about the terrorist link is tenuous at best, however it is naive to believe that Saddam plays no role international terrorism.

Blix reminds me of the beltway bandit consultants that thrive in the Washington DC area - a man who provides expensive professional services miraculously concludes that what you need is more of his services. Amazing!