McTERNAN OUT OF HIS DEPTH AS USUAL

I'd forgotten this excellent wee interview from Mr Snow with Galloway and McTernan. 

It never ceases to amaze me that people go to McT for an opinion on anything. He's almost physically attached to Blair and anyone who worships at his feet. Blair can do no wrong. Blair is perfection. Anyone could do the interview for him and take the fee, even a donkey. Actually on reflection a donkey would be far more agreeable, visually and aurally. 

I just thought you might fancy a wee laugh as Jon finished him off here.

Oh and, just how long after that interview did Blair resign, or was he sacked?

Another prediction bites the dust...

ETHICAL FOREIGN POLICY?

David Cameron has said that the West has been wrong to support dictators in the Middle East. In a speech to the Kuwaiti national assembly Cameron said that Britain would back democracy campaigners now seeking greater rights across the Middle East.

He said that in the past Britain’s foreign policy has been dictated by it economic interests and that has stopped them pushing for and promoting Western democratic values.

He felt it was wrong that Britain supported Mr Mubarak and that, under Labour, had fostered relations with Col Gaddafi in Libya. He pointed out that two Labour Prime Ministers had met Gaddafi to promote British interests in their large and lucrative oil economy, paving the way for 150 British businesses to work there. Well, the Tories would never have done anything like that, would they?

He said that British interests were best served by upholding British values; freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to use internet and in the rule of law. Hmmm right, we shall see when the riots begin in England, just how we practise what we preach.

Now this all sounds to me like we are going to have an ethical foreign policy again, just like we did for the first couple of weeks of Labour’s government in 1997. It soon fell by the wayside as the need for arms sales to keep the economy afloat reared its ugly head, and then the need to follow George W Bush to hell and back in the most unethical of wars became central to Tony Blair’s plans to be a leading world figure, if only in the shadow of the great Dubya (as the junior partner of the special relationship).

You see, I can’t much remember there being any Conservative objection to our relationship with Egypt (witness the picture at the top of the page). America was Egypt’s friend; Britain could hardly be otherwise. And America decided to allow Gaddafi back into the international community after he denounced terrorism. Pour encourager les autres, as it were. Iraq wouldn’t get rid of its (non existent) WMDs, so it got war. Libya denounced terror, so it got trade. What was Britain going to do? What indeed would the Tories have done?

So speaking in a country with only limited democracy, he was good enough to tell them that he respected their right to take their own decisions.

At a press conference later, Mr Cameron was asked if his pro-reform message applied to Saudi Arabia, but he declined to answer. Hmmmm, yes, well we certainly wouldn’t want to upset Saudi Arabia, a country where you can be flogged on the street for failing to take part in prayers, and where most of the government is made up of the king’s relatives. The trouble is that they have vast oil reserves and that they spend billions every year on British arms. And, after all, Mr Cameron’s tour entourage does include several defence industry executives.

So limited ethical foreign policy then Dave?

Some magical double acts! (1) Margaret Thatcher doing business with Hosni Mubarak: (2) Mad Gaddafi and Mad Brown making business happen: (3) Moving in for the kiss... Tony and Muammar, sweet: (4) Davie boy, all alone and very moral. Creitable, but a difficult position to keep up, specially when Saudi Arabia is not going to bend for the UK.

WHY CAN'T THEY HAVE THE BEST NOW LIAM?

Just a wee thought crossed my mind the other day when I was listening to the news about Jock Stirrup and his employment situation.

I mean, the guy was supposed to stay till some time in the middle of 2011, but clearly the new minister for wars, Liam Fox, with his deep knowledge and understanding of all things military, much more for example than Mr Stirrup himself, who’s only been in the services since the late 1960s, has decided to sack him. Fox said he wanted "the best people to be in the appropriate posts".

Fair enough.

I don’t approve of this broke little country punching above its weight in military matters, poking its nose into all manner of things that don’t concern it, and about which it knows nothing. But I have always said that if, in order to give an impression of some semblance of importance, we have to continue to pretend that we still have an empire, we must always, always kit our men out for the job, provide them with the weaponry they need, the back office they need in logistics, etc, and the best possible management at all levels. In short, "the best people to be in the appropriate posts".

Now if Mr Stirrup is not the best that there is at the top, he should go, but surely now, today, this minute. Not in 5 months.

Firstly because the new Libtory government is conducting a strategic defence review, and it would be sensible to have the new man in post to carry that out... as he’s the one who will have to operate within the parameters of its findings.

Secondly because a man who has clearly been sacked and is working his 5 month notice, can have no real authority; no real respect. Everyone now knows that he doesn’t have the confidence of the government.

And thirdly, and by far the most important reason, because the guys out there in danger, doing the fighting, need the best NOW. Not in 5 months’ time.

Maybe someone can explain why they are not getting it.

And, while we are talking about our men getting the best, can we remind ourselves that Mr Fox has a rather dodgy record on expenses, and in particular a mortgage over claim of £22,476, and cellular phone bills of £19,000!!!!!!!!!...... He also has a record of breaking parliamentary rules over visits to Sri Lanka, and failing to declare interest in Sri Lanka in debates, which, big man that he is, he blamed on his staff. And rather dangerously for a War Minister, he has said: "Israel’s enemies are our enemies and this is a battle in which we all stand together or we will all fall divided." So we know where we shall be standing over the Middle East in future.

I hardly think that Mr Fox has demonstrated that he is the best we can have as our Defence man. He only got a reasonably senior brief because he stood for the leadership of the Tory Party and came third to David Cameron and David Davies.

I think he should resign with Mr Stirrup, as of tomorrow.


Pics: Liam Fox: You can tell a man by the company he keeps, and here he is with Mayor Giuliani and some old woman they picked up..... and poor old Jock, whom Liam thinks won't be up to the job in 5 months.