Tony Blair speaks from Dreamland. By Katherine Baldwin for Reuters, with thanks to James:
DUBAI (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair will call on Wednesday for Middle East states to rein in what he calls the threat from Iran and to help advance peacemaking between Israelis and Palestinians.Speaking in the United Arab Emirates, he will underline what has been the theme of his Middle East tour: moderate leaders must be empowered against extremists.
"We must recognize the strategic threat the government of Iran poses, not its people, not possibly all of its ruling elements, but those presently in charge of its policy," he will say, according to extracts of his speech released by his office.
Iran seeks "to pin us back in Lebanon, in Iraq and in Palestine," he will tell business leaders in Dubai.
"Our response should be to expose what they are doing, build the alliances to prevent it and pin them back across the whole of the region."
He says to do this "we need the open and clear backing of the countries in this region that know better than me what is happening and why."
Blair's spokesman dismissed suggestions his comments on Iran were designed to pit the region's Sunni Muslims against Shi'ite Iran, saying the prime minister worked with all faiths.
He says to do this "we need the open and clear backing of the countries in this region that know better than me what is happening and why."
Don't expect too much from this bunch of associates in terror.
Tony Blair is deluded and not a little confused. I believe he was quite keen to engage with Iran only a few short weeks ago??
Headless chicken.
Just a few years ago Blair was depicted by many as our Churchillian ally, sending troops to Iraq, and what's more, able to utter two or three consecutive sentences that seemed to make a kind of sense, thus distinguishing himself from the confused yet obstinate in his confusion American President.
It was all nonsense. Few in the United States knew about Blair the trimmer and Blair the schemer, and Blair the man who carred a Qur'an about with him and was even more fervent than Bush in his expressed admiration for that book and for Islam.
To take his measure, read the little chapter devoted to him in Rory Stewart's "The Places In Between." Then think of what he is doing now: despite everything that is happening, from southern Thailand across all of Asia to Iran and Iraq and Lebanon and in Gaza and in Egypt and in Algeria, and in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and then to North America, where we are not fighting them here (so all those people arrested, those "charities" shut down, those plots uncovered, are figments of perfervid imaginations) because, you see, we "are fighting them over there," he still prates about the importance of a settlement between "Israel" and "Palestine" (a toponym which, nowadays, as referring to precisely the same territory, or much of it, sinisterly reifies what does not now and should not exist), thus echoing all those who believe this to be true not because there is evidence that it is true, but because the Arabs tell them that it is true -- they wouldn't lie, would they? -- and it is so much more pleasant to keep avoiding the nature of Islam, the tenets of Islam, the attitudes of Islam, the atmospherics of Islam, to ignore the texts, to ignore the jurisconsults, to ignore the Qur'anic commentators, to ignor everyone from al-Ghazali to Ibn Khaldun, to ignore all the scholars from Schacht and Snouck Hurgronje to Arthur Jeffery and Ignaz Goldziher (and to substite the My Weekly Reader level treatments of self-deluded Karen Armstrong, venal John Esposito), to ignore, in short everything and to concentrate on mighty Israel, and its mighty threat to the Arabs and Muslims, and to somehow pretend that the Taliban will be soothed if only the "two-state solution" -- a farcical phrase that can only be used by the unthinking, for it is no
"solution" to feed Islamic triumphalism, and no "solution" to visibly weaken Israel so that the Arab rulers feel in some cases that they can, and in other cases that they must act as they can no longer act as if they cannot, go in for the final kill.
Blair is Everyman, or rather Everyleader in this Iron Age. He invites comparison with Bush, and gains by the comparison. But on any other scale, his silliness, after so many years when he has had every chance to learn about Islam, is striking and unnerving and grotesque.
Blair's stupidity in this Jihad terror war (and in immigration policy too) rivals that of George W. Bush himself.
We’ve made no progress at all since Sept. 11, 2001. In fact, things have worsened.
610 * 623 * 732 * 1066 * 1215 * 1453 * 1492 * 1683 * 1928 * 1938 * 1948 * 1996 * 2001
... moderate (Moslem) leaders must be empowered against extremists.
These "moderate" Unicorns who attend these fantastic speeches must be laughing their asses off back in the stable when yokels like Tony leave town.
Oxford meets Yale, and by these worthless elites we're all being dragged blindly into the quagmire.
Is there no more reality? It looks nowadays as if we're pinned inside a shaky intellectual construct that is a stinking mixture of emotive preference, post-Marxist theory, intellectual fraud, self-censorship, fear, and pigheadedness.
One wonders, what with the collapse of academia and the rise of the anti-freedom media more intent on opinion programming than doing their jobs, whether we’ll pull out of this three decade long nose dive. It just doesn’t end.
It does look like that would be pitting Sunni and Shia even more so than just in Iraq.
It seems like that line of Diplomacy will spread violence beyond Iraq. I mean more than there is already.
And that would be so great with all are troops still in the middle of it all.
What a dope.
Thats what needs to be done AFTER we pull out.
Reckon I should write a song about Blair? Nah, not worth it...
When I saw him after 9/11 with the ( now deceased) grinning Sultan of Quatar who laughed in his face "But now you respect him..." (re. OBL & the WTC) Blair was totally exposed as the dimwit schoolboy he is...
It is nbo consolation that things are NO BETTER in America...
Here's a link to Sheik Yer'mami's brand new blow:
http://www.sheikyermami.com/
If I could make it happen Blair, Bush, Kennedy, Pelosi, Conyers, etc. -- would ALL be dumped in a dark ally somewhere in downtown Tehran; clad only in burkas, viels, and clutching desparately to their English translations of to quaran.
Education by TOTAL immursion into the hell of islamic society!
Blair is calling for a coalition of cesspoolian states to contain Iran-now that's a hoot! How is that possible? Most of these states have armies that look nice in parades but are most likely worthless in battle-Iran would demolish them easily. Why else has the US been playing a mercenary role there for all these years? Besides, even if this grand army of containment were fit for war who in their right mind would trust these cesspoolians to not make some sort of shady deal with Iran? None of these countries are willing to put their necks on the line-they'll just fight Iran indirectly with proxies in Iraq and maybe other places-this is probably the best we can expect from the cesspoolians. The only way Iran will be contained is if the US does it and there's no stomach for it at this time. Blair really is getting daft as his days in office wind down.
Every time I read about "peace in the Middle East" or the "peace process", my mind shuts down. I used to believe in this myth but not anymore, thanks to sites like Jihad Watch.
The only peace the Muslim countries will accept is the annihilation of Israel and the death of every Jewish person on the planet. That's not how I define peace.
Any non-Muslim world leader working on the "peace process" should stop wasting the time of Israel's leaders. They might just as well be trying to sell them Amway products for all the peace it brings.
Blair will be remembered in history as perhaps one of the worst Prime Ministers the UK has ever had.
Here is Tony, trying to join the American beltway whores in lining his retirement pockets with our converted petro dollars.
Whores might have their uses, but for us, not at this stage of the game.
Turn him over, he is done.
Turn him over, he is done.
Posted by: dgene at December 20, 2006 09:38 AM
Nah-Blair won't be done. He'll rake in a fortune making speeches and influencing policy for years to come. It'll be like putting Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter into one body. What an appalling prospect that is.
Not too long ago Blair and other western leaders were busy (succesfully) containing Israel from crushing Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. So, know Iran, fresh off that propaganda victory of "defeating" the Israeli army, confidently rushes to build their nukes, likely thinking, and probably fairly accurately, that western leaders are even know twisting Israeli leaders arms behind the scenes so Israeli leaders don't take military action against the Iranian nuclear program. So the same failed policy continues, real allies are restrained from taking real effective action, the enemy is emboldened to be more aggressive, and then western leaders go around begging "moderate" muslims to do something.
The only way to rein in Iran is if the US rains lots of bombs on it. Until that happens the Iranians will continue to cause trouble for everyone. One can't blame them-for almost 30 years they've acted in the most reprehensible manner and nobody has ever made them pay the price for it. They are now full of the hubris they accuse the US of. It is rather embarrassing to think that the only one who has ever exacted a toll on Iran was good old Saddam Hussein. To expect other weakling members of the ummah to rein in Iran is laughable in the extreme and irresponsible. And highly dangerous.
Tony Blair seemed determined to prove that the spirit of the master apeaser Chamberlain is alive and well in England, expecting countries like the United Arab emirate and Saudi Arabia and Egypt to rein in Iran is like expecting a hyena to not eat a dead camel that is a lying out in the sun or two days
Blair, in his conceit, thinks he was the chief agent in achieving the peace settlemnt in northern ireland. The current slightly bizarre situation there is, in fact, largely a result of stalemate and war-weariness, the two groups are in the grip of what is really a secular, nationalist conflict and most of the groundwork had already been done. The fool seems to believe he can pull the same trick in the middle east. His complete failure to grasp what Islam is about mean his entire foreign policy there is an exercise in futility. His role as chief champion of Turkish EU entry is unforgiveable.
Blair says, "we need the open and clear backing of the countries in this region that KNOW BETTER THAN ME [emphasis added] what is happening and why."
Hehe Hehe Ha!
They do know better than you Mr. Blair, but they aren't on your side, whatever side that may be.
Why do we have idiots like this running our countries?
I think President Bush and Blair are a hell of a lot more intune than many of you give them credit for!
We know muslims use what we have come to call the practice of taqqiya, lying to decieve your enemy!
there is no doubt we needed both saudi and pakistan inorder to launch attacks in afghanistan and iraq. this would never have been accomplished if president Bush went screaming to the saudis or pakis "we are at war with islam" or "muslims are a bunch of satan worshipping pigs", or islam is an evil religion .
so if the muslims can use taqiyya whats wrong with Bush and Blair turning it back at them?
I feel Blair's speech is telling the Saudis and Gulf States to pick a side. Ours.
There is a Multi-Billion dollar, State of the Art Air base with all the trimmings in Saudi Arabia. I'm sure Our Air force would love to use it if a showdown with Iran is going to happen.
Just think how the Wahabbists will like that. The Saudi Royal Family. Dependent on the "Great Satin". Having to squash the very group they have been funding. What a hoot.
Further more, It would serve to further cement the division between the 2 sects.
We concern ourselves a lot with how the Muslim population would react within our own Western culture. Especially if a conflict occurs.
I would suggest that the Arab Countries would be affected even more. Especially when their population gets wind of their involvement with us.
We are the sliver causing the Abscess in the Middle East. The Administration is going to inject a little more poison tho help speed things along.
It will be fun to see how the Demoncrats will trash the concept of Troop increases after 3 years of jawing over not putting in enough to begin with.
Increasing the Standing Army is a foregone conclusion.
If it's expansion needs to be fast tracked. You'll hear more calls for enlistment. Especially if the President asks.
If we leave Irans Oil facilities alone. I don't see what the Russian and Chineese would have a real problem with having Iran reverting back to the 17th Century.
I don't see the "Moderates" in Iran as being anything like the portrayal given to them on PBS, the CBC, the BBC...
I would watch to see if North Korea puts a Rocket on the launch pad.
"Iran reverting back to the 17th Century."
I prefer the US military's use of the term "Stone age."
Despite brute violence and malicious deeds by fellow citizens, Sunni jihadists, and Iranian militants, elected Iraqi Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, are expected to make critical decisions. They must look into the face of uncertainty. Decision-making frameworks are required. Uncritical acceptance of a plan can provide a false sense of security, overlooking a spectrum of uncertain outcomes and probabilities. They must be concerned about alternative outcomes, and if a far different scenario can materialize. When making decisions, they can try to assess the amount of risk should a negative scenario materialize, and if the risk is tolerable. They also may be too risk averse, focusing on the whole region, rather then on a part of Iraq. If they decide on a particular plan, despite a low probability of success, will the benefit derived outweigh safety, if an alternative strategy will allow greater flexibility, and less risk, and if a simple plan with options to abandon, will be preferable over a complex irreversible plan. Decision-making will require the assessment of consequences.
I think President Bush and Blair are a hell of a lot more intune than many of you give them credit for!
We know muslims use what we have come to call the practice of taqqiya, lying to decieve your enemy!
there is no doubt we needed both saudi and pakistan inorder to launch attacks in afghanistan and iraq. this would never have been accomplished if president Bush went screaming to the saudis or pakis "we are at war with islam" or "muslims are a bunch of satan worshipping pigs", or islam is an evil religion .
so if the muslims can use taqiyya whats wrong with Bush and Blair turning it back at them?
Posted by: thndrbang1
Here here!!
The Niqab should be illegal. It's not a question of religious freedom, it's a simple issue of public safety, full stop.