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Gordon Brown has a Choice |
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Written by Stefan Simanowitz
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Wednesday, 14 November 2007 |
The Gordon Brown's Mansion House speech is the clearest indication yet that
he intends to offer British military backing to George Bush's aggressive plans
for sanctions and military intervention against Iran. In a thinly disguised
threat, Mr Brown said: "Iran has a choice – confrontation with the international
community leading to a tightening of sanctions or, if it changes its approach
and ends support for terrorism, a transformed relationship with the world." This
use of the term "international community" ignores the fact that a majority of
the nations and peoples of the world recognise Iran's legitimate right to
uranium enrichment. Mr Brown also ignores the fact that the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence whatsoever of either a weaponisation
programme nor has anyone produced any evidence of the Iranian state's support
for terrorism. It also ignores the fact that Iran's referral to the United
Nations Security Council was, in itself, illegal.
One of the reasons that Prime Minister Brown was eager to call a November
election was to secure a new term in office before being dragged into a deeply
unpopular American-led military adventure against Iran.
Recent strategic, military and political maneuvers have left little doubt that
attacking Iran is top of George Bush’s list of things to do before he retires,
and President Sarkozy has replaced Blair as Bush's cheer-leader in chief. Brown,
keen to maintain the so-called special relationship but fearful of a backlash of
public opinion, finds himself caught between two stools.
The findings of last week’s poll by the International Herald Tribune suggest
that only 11 percent of the British public would support military force against
Iran.
With Russia and China unlikely to support a UN resolution authorising military
action, it is likely that President Bush will order a strike on Iran ‘in support
of the authority of the UN’. This was the pretext used for the invasion of Iraq
in 2003. Sarkozy will offer substantial military support. Brown will be tempted
to do the same, but knows if he does so, he might wave his chance of election
victory goodbye .
Rather than being swept along in President Bush's slipstream, we call on Gordon
Brown not to ignore the wishes of the British public. We urge him to be his own
man and desist from any illegitimate and unjustified military action against
Iran. He should encourage Bush to resume negotiations with Iran on the nuclear
enrichment issue without preconditions and support the agreement reached between
Iran and the IAEA aimed at resolving the current stand-off.
Source: CASMII
Comments posted are the sole opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of AIM. |
