At the beginning of the week, during Monday
and Tuesday, Wild Bill Hague, otherwise known as Bomber Hague, David Cameron’s
Foreign Secretary was hot to bomb. Bomb immediately! Attack Syria without
debate in the British Parliament and its agreement, without any debate in or
support from the United Nations and without taking into account the view of its
Security Council which had not formally met to discuss the situation, and
finally, without taking into any account British public opinion on the subject.
In tandem with Bomber Hague was the endless orchestrated chorus of BBC Television
reportage and comment. This supposedly neutral and unbiased state broadcasting
channel, having made up its mind, absolutely and without doubt as to the Syrian
Regime’s guilt for a chemical attack on civilians, on what quite frankly may
best be described as the flimsiest of uncorroborated evidence supplied mainly
by Islamist rebel fighters, was likewise with Hague all hot for bombing and
endlessly managed its entire media coverage to support such a view.
In the first few days of the week the
British Broadcasting Corporation television news threw its entire weight behind
an immediate bombing campaign. Every nuance, every twist and turn in news
reading and interpreting events through newsreaders themselves and commentators
pointed in one single direction, that the chemical attack was a barbarous and
inhuman attack on innocent people by a barbarous and inhuman political regime
and required retaliation. As the BBC saw it, it was established fact that
Assad’s regime was responsible and there was no need for any evidence such as
it was to be corroborated and no need for the British Parliament to debate the
issue let alone the United Nations. The whole British political class was in
agreement they broadcast, with the Labour Opposition Leader seeing David
Cameron and supposedly giving his consent as well as Nick Clegg. In short they
put over the news that everyone was united on the British political front for
military action, only they weren’t!
During these early days it was the BBC as
much as Bomber Hague who were in a rush for military action and they
shamelessly manipulated, distorted and exaggerated their news-reading
accordingly. I’m certainly no supporter of President Assad of Syria or his
politics, and his friends and supporters from Hezbollah to the Iranians are a
pretty evil gang of Islamic terrorists and nutcases, but the so called ‘rebels’
currently engaged in a civil war against him are a mob of vile extreme
fundamentalists . Looked at logically the best outcome to the whole situation
would be the two sides wiping each other out, but of the two, whereas Assad, an
unpleasant piece of work at best, would hardly be likely to put his regime under
threat of serious attack by the
Americans with an unnecessary chemical weapons attack on the ‘rebels’ or
civilians in general which might prompt such retaliation, the ‘rebels’ on the
other hand, with altogether far less scruples, would have no problem in doing
so. If Assad HAD authorized such an attack he’d be stupid in the extreme and
stupid he’s not. The fundamentalist ‘rebels’ on the other hand would be more
than likely to try their hand with such stunt. An act of barbarous provocation
at a time when their campaign was losing momentum. Just the right kind of
explosive mixture creating just cause, in their thinking, that would bring the
Americans in. Give them the opportunity to likewise attack Syria’s backers, the
Hezbollah terrorist group, and their
own backers, the loathsome Iranians. Talk about killing two birds with one
stone, military engagement would give them three and possibly more, so the
finger of an evil chemical attack would provide every excuse needed.
Foreign Secretary Wild Bill Hague and the
Cameron Government with the BBC chorus behind them have been going on endlessly
about attacks with chemical weapons being barbarous and inhuman. Such use of
chemical weapons had been designated as such by convention soon after the end
of the First World War. However this did not stop America using them
extensively in and over Vietnam throughout that conflict. The weapon was known
as Agent Orange. I have heard no comment on the use of this chemical weapon
during the 1960’s and 70’s by the United States from any BBC or otherwise
indignant Bomber Hague and his supporters. The Americans have made extensive
use of chemical weapons to wage war in recent times so less indignation please!
The media campaign for immediate attack on
Syria gradually subsided as the week progressed. The call to allow ‘weapons
inspectors’ to do their work was being accepted even though the BBC aired and
supported the view of the Obama administration that their findings would be
unacceptable because any evidence might be ‘tainted’ by Assad’s ‘guilty’
regime. Indeed, the view propounded by the Americans that the regime was guilty
of the attack no matter what the evidence was beginning to sound shaky to
moderate opinion and their view that support from the United Nations for any
military attack was unnecessary, one naturally supported by Bomber Hague, was
beginning to jar on British political ears with the only too recent experience
of the Iraq War, particularly as the British Parliament had never been recalled
by Tony Blair at the time and the so called dossier of evidence of weapons of
mass destruction had turned out to be a tissue of lies. No, with the UN gearing
up for rejection by Wednesday, the Russians and Chinese simply refusing to play
ball, the headlong rush for immediate action was on the skids and by Thursday
the BBC’s thoroughly twisted slant on the news slowly evening out. The
Parliamentary Labour Party was asking questions. Their leader was already seen
as being entirely too cosy with the Tories on domestic issues. Tuesday night
through Wednesday morning brought a change. Ed Miliband was demanding a recall
of Parliament to debate the rush to military action and by Wednesday evening it
became clear that Labour would not support any Tory resolution giving Britain’s
support for a military attack by the United States on Syria.
The resolution of support was proposed
Thursday evening and defeated by a combination of MPs from all the main Parties.
By Friday morning Britain was out of a war. Ed Miliband’s action was special
and very important for Parliamentary democracy in this country. For his stand
he has been grossly insulted, it is reported in the Times, by someone senior in
the Foreign Office. We trust, Bomber Hague, that you will find the vile conduct
of a member of your Foreign Office team deplorable and apologize for it.
David Cameron has now officially ruled out
British support for any American military action against Syria. The Obama
Administration however, while acknowledging the fact, has immediately
responded, making it clear that British opposition will in no way deter it from
its intention to attack that country whatever the findings of the chemical weapons
inspection team and without any support from the United Nations. Indeed, if
necessary, without the support of anyone else.
Yes, the Americans are going ahead! President
Obama and his acolytes have made up their minds to attack Syria no matter what.
The regime there may be guilty of the chemical attack or not guilty. I don’t
know for sure, but quite frankly, before attacking another country perhaps it’s
best to find out the truth and be clear that what you are doing is justified.
It’s just not good enough saying so. If you want to start playing war then you’d
better be sure rather than just convincing yourself and getting caught up in
your own hype. Do that and what you say you’re standing up for isn’t worth a
damn.
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