captured marines

[stokeace]

so tony blair has said that if the iranians dont release the captured marines things will 'enter a new phase' he ought to be careful what he says to these people if they hand them over to the iraqis we may never see them again

[Zen]

Is this the same Tony Blair that told us abouts WMDs that could be launched in 45 minutes by the Iraqis ?
If Bull s ****ig was an olympic sport we know where Englands Gold medal would come from.............

[mushroom25]

"things will enter a new phase".... at this time Tony Blair is in power but has none, and the Iranians know it. Just about the only thing that Mr Blair could do in his next phase is throw his teddy bear at them.

[youngmafbog]

And no doubt the Iranians are also acutley aware of the minority but noisy bunch of liberals that we have in this country who will bleat if he does try to do something.

They must be laughing their socks off. I've a pretty good idea what they woudl do with the liberal pinkos. Perhaps their not so bad afterall

[jedimistress]

If they all stopped parading their gunships around the gulf I'm sure they wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. It's like blokes at the bar with their stupid stances and puffing out of their chests.

[jake-the-peg]

Fine idea youngmafbog

I'm sure if you'd been out there you'd have taught them a thing or two, probaly opened fire on the Iranian boat, and started yet another war!

We're still trying to extricate ourselves from the two we're already in.

Here's 2p son, go buy yourself a clue!

[Lonnie]

Problem is, by capturing those marines and Sailors, Iran committed an act of war.

I don't know what we can do, but there must be something other than the appeasment this goverment is so good at.

[whiffey]

Iran is a threat to world peace, and ultimately to mankind. The West needs to safeguard its values and interests - its oil supply most certainly - by whatever means it takes, including military action. One day hopefully we (the West) will no longer be dependent on oil, then we can get out and let the Sunnis massacre the Shias and vice versa and any which other tribal or religious slaughter, and just maintain a watch to stop nuclear warheads getting into the hands of fanatics who would destroy me and you - yes you too.

If USA and maybe UK ever decide to go in, then I will be cheering them on.

[jake-the-peg]

Strange Lonnie they'd probably say that by sending armed troops into their territorial waters we committed an act of war.

We obviously deny it, youngmafbog gets tooled up like Rambo on acid and lots of people die.

Wasn't it Churchill who said "Jaw, Jaw is better than War, War"?

This is one for the diplomats and the more everybody on both sides stays calm and keeps their ego's under control and lets them do their job the better chance there is of a happy outcome.

[lector]

Muslims have the bomb - as to other countries outside of the UN Security Council permanent members.

Under treaties Iran has a right to develop nuclear energy.

It is an issue of verification.

Iran as a threat to World Peace ....
Any more so than another dozen other nations .... or is this a threat to Western values of what world peace constitutes?

The Oil Card:
Others would like to make it a wider issue - not only in the West but also regional competitors.

It is good of the West to offer to 'babysit' another countries oil supplies (Iraq being a good example), but may be some countries wish to maintain control over their assets ...

Oil in the Middle East and elsewhere does not belong unilaterally to the West.

The UN needs to be reformed into a real cohesive unit that stops bullying and starts to address Global Issues affecting the whole of mankind .... the changes to Planet Earth.

Nations on the winning side after WWII - built themselves a structure to protect their interests - WB IMF UN WTO etc etc. The best days of Europe are past .... it is the time of emerging nations to 'increase their living standards, improve health of their people, etc ... India, China, South America, Africa etc

It is time to build a global structure to encompass all peoples and nations of this world - rich and poor alike.

... and to stop the manipulative bullies - the victorious allies of WWII - trying to maintain the standrad of living for their citizens at the expense of the poorer nations.

[jedimistress]

Here here.