Forum Topic

Crisis, what crisis?

Some are complaining that Boris Johnson should cut short his Caribbean holiday just because there is an international crisis. But what would be the point? He can delegate the job of kowtowing to the US, to some minister or another. The permanent civil service can make whatever defence/offence preparations are necessary in the situation, just as they would do if he happened to be around. It is probably a mercy that he is not here.

David Ainsworth ● 2502d22 Comments

That's an unusually pragmatic approach from you David. Or was it your usual attempt at sarcasm?

Sue Hammond ● 2502d

And now the Iraqi MPs has voted in favour of requesting foreign troops to leave Iraq...The mess could not get any messier!In the meantime, Cummings must be busy recruiting the new personnel for No. 10 as well as the funky civil service he so much desires..

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

"The mess could not get any messier!"Oh, you know it could well.Wait until the freedom-loving ol' US of A starts its grand tour of destruction through the Iranian cultural sites. Baedeker Raids, 1942, anyone? Exeter, Bath, York, Norwich, Canterbury.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Iran

David Ainsworth ● 2502d

"That's an unusually pragmatic approach from you David. Or was it your usual attempt at sarcasm?"Bit of both. Learned helplessness, I think.I knew that I should have put in an emoji. -------------------https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF9LP-9uG_k

David Ainsworth ● 2502d

I guess it's a useful distraction from the impeachment hearings ... killing a military official in a foreign power compared to killing a terrorist in a "failed" arrest does set an interesting precedent? I've no love for any of these war mongers but it does seem to set a dangerous precedent? Threatening cultural sites, which are actually part of the WORLD'S heritage, I think, is rather dubious as it implies attacking mainly civilian rather than military targets. Such attacks, I believe, do count as international war crimes? Given Johnson's previous foul ups with Iran probably best if he leaves it to the experts in the Foreign Office; I heard Raab said he was sympathetic to and on the same page as the US but listening to him I wasn't sure he had it the same way up ...

Michael Ixer ● 2502d

I cannot believe (do not want to?) the USA would destroy Iranian cultural sites.  That would be akin to ISIS destroying the 28 historical sites in Iraq, Syria and Libya in 2014-2015. 

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

"I heard Raab said he was sympathetic to and on the same page as the US but listening to him I wasn't sure he had it the same way up …"Trump is the Boss. It is whichever way up the Boss says that it is. Raab will salute it either way.Ain't independence great?

David Ainsworth ● 2502d

Hello David,I was just listening to Dr Lina Khatib, the Head of Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House on Channel 4 news.I wholeheartedly hope she is correct in saying that the current political situation is very much between the US and Iran and that the response from the British government in a way highlighted this.Let us see what the developments are next week.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

Richard Carter ● 2502d

Or the Taliban destroying the Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001.

David Ainsworth ● 2502d

Well, that has an eerie resonance of Trump today!  He must have had a vision of himself!What an awful man he is.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

Exactly!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

Trump seems to have no understanding of cultural history, if it can't be measured in dollars it seems to have no value to him, so unless advised otherwise I can see him unleashing an attack against such sites. Perhaps our British "Trump" classically educated at Eton and Oxford can influence his friend in the White House against such barbaric action? I heard a report that the Iranians had posted a message on a US government website they'd hacked, perhaps they're going for a more subtle, crafty response?  

Michael Ixer ● 2502d

2011, 2012 and 2013 - Trump was really obsessed with that idea of a US war with Iran helping to re-elect a President, wasn't he?Carl Jung said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” But no counsellor (or consigliere) told Trump.

David Ainsworth ● 2502d

Ivonne, I agree with you, I think Boris is wise to just stay out of it at the moment.  He may well have spoken to Trump, but to rush back to London sends out the wrong signals in my opinion and would encourage the press to ask for comments.  We should stay right out of it as long as possible.

Bunny Payne ● 2502d

I agree Michael, his yardstick is money and gold buildings.  I keep singing #Start spreading the news, Trump's leaving today, he no longer wishes to be a part of it, New York, New York..#  I just wish it did not relate to New York only, but the White House altogether.  Trump is a very dangerous bully.I despair at the thought of all those young people going to war for him.  As the saying goes, old men declare war and young people fight them.  It is time the ones who declare war fought it themselves!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2502d

And this documentary is really worth watchinghttps://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003871/shadow-commander-irans-military-mastermind

Ivonne Holliday ● 2501d

Thanks for the BBC documentary. Here's a Newsweek article from 2015 when Soleimani wasn't a "diabolically evil human being"*.https://www.newsweek.com/iranian-military-mastermind-leading-battle-recapture-tikrit-isis-311516*(From this "'We saw Suleimani as a very capable charismatic, skilled, professionally competent, diabolically evil human being', says General David Petraeus, who was head of US forces in Iraq"). Some might say the same of General David Petraeous, good name, goodlooking, obviously brave, very competent at soldiering, but a supreme commander in the idiotic war in Iraq, and then head of the CIA.

David Ainsworth ● 2501d

This, if true, puts another angle on the killling:https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/1/5/1909525/-Trump-assassinated-man-brokering-peace-reduced-tension-in-Persian-GulfThe Iraqi PM seems to be contradicting what Trump said about an immediate threat, although neither has (to my knowledge) shown any evidence for their statements.

Michael Ixer ● 2501d

Talking about immediate/imminent threats, see ex-Ambassador Craig Murray:-"So when Pompeo says attacks by Soleimani were “imminent” he is not using the word in the normal sense in the English language. It is no use asking him what, where or when these “imminent” attacks were planned to be. He is referencing the Bethlehem Doctrine under which you can kill people on the basis of a feeling that they may have been about to do something."https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/01/lies-the-bethlehem-doctrine-and-the-illegal-murder-of-soleimani/

David Ainsworth ● 2501d

That type of manipulation of language can set dangerous precedents, things can work both ways? This is something the US administration might want to take a look at, although breaking laws doesn't seem to be of much concern ...http://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/if-the-us-destroys-iranian-cultural-sites-president-trump-will-be-criminally-liable-by-international-law

Michael Ixer ● 2501d

It looks like some close to Trump do understand international agreements and war crimes even if he's ignorant on those matters ....https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/us/politics/trump-esper-iran-cultural-sites.html

Michael Ixer ● 2500d