Vanun
09-02-05, 10:14
Iran is a sponsor of state terrorism and should realise it must not seek to obstruct progress towards a Middle East peace settlement, Tony Blair said yesterday.
The Prime Minister said that it would be "a very severe miscalculation" by Iran or Syria if they assumed that it was now in their interests to allow insurgents to cross into Iraq to weaken the Americans and reduce the chance of an attack on themselves.
President George W Bush has branded Iran the "world's primary state sponsor of terror". Mr Blair said he agreed with the president's criticism of the Teheran regime. "It certainly does sponsor terrorism, there is no doubt about that," he told the Commons liaison committee.
"I hope very much that if we can make progress in the Middle East that Iran realises it has an obligation to help that, not hinder it."
The US has not ruled out a military strike against Iran, but has said that it will try to resolve the dispute over the country's nuclear ambitions by diplomatic means. Mr Blair stressed the efforts Britain was making with France and Germany to broker a compromise.
The Prime Minister looked uncomfortable when Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough and chairman of the public accounts committee, asked whether anyone would believe him if he claimed military action was necessary to disarm Iran after his record in Iraq - which turned out not to have weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Blair said it would depend on what evidence there was, but he insisted other countries, including France and Germany, believed there was an issue about Iran's nuclear weapons capability.
He sounded a more optimistic note about Iraq and indicated that he believed the worst was over for what has been the most divisive issue of his premiership.
He said the Nato alliance might agree at a summit attended by President Bush later this month to help train Iraq's security forces. Mr Blair said the "Iraqi-isation" of the country's security forces was the key to an early withdrawal by American and British forces. "We will remain in Iraq for as long as is needed. It is our desire we go from Iraq as soon as possible. As soon as possible means when the job is done - and the job is building up that Iraqi capability."
Mr Blair said it was still a very tough situation. The insurgents in Iraq were well armed, well financed and prepared to kill anybody. But there was a changed situation in the country after the election.
"The terrorists and insurgents, whatever damage they can do, they are doing it. But it is very clear now from inside and outside Iraq that they have no popular support," Mr Blair said.
Global terrorism could not be defeated by security or military means alone. "It also has to be defeated by the promotion of democracy, human rights and bringing freedom to people. That's at stake in Iraq," he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/09/nblair109.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/09/ixnewstop.html
Daar gaan we weer....
The Prime Minister said that it would be "a very severe miscalculation" by Iran or Syria if they assumed that it was now in their interests to allow insurgents to cross into Iraq to weaken the Americans and reduce the chance of an attack on themselves.
President George W Bush has branded Iran the "world's primary state sponsor of terror". Mr Blair said he agreed with the president's criticism of the Teheran regime. "It certainly does sponsor terrorism, there is no doubt about that," he told the Commons liaison committee.
"I hope very much that if we can make progress in the Middle East that Iran realises it has an obligation to help that, not hinder it."
The US has not ruled out a military strike against Iran, but has said that it will try to resolve the dispute over the country's nuclear ambitions by diplomatic means. Mr Blair stressed the efforts Britain was making with France and Germany to broker a compromise.
The Prime Minister looked uncomfortable when Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough and chairman of the public accounts committee, asked whether anyone would believe him if he claimed military action was necessary to disarm Iran after his record in Iraq - which turned out not to have weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Blair said it would depend on what evidence there was, but he insisted other countries, including France and Germany, believed there was an issue about Iran's nuclear weapons capability.
He sounded a more optimistic note about Iraq and indicated that he believed the worst was over for what has been the most divisive issue of his premiership.
He said the Nato alliance might agree at a summit attended by President Bush later this month to help train Iraq's security forces. Mr Blair said the "Iraqi-isation" of the country's security forces was the key to an early withdrawal by American and British forces. "We will remain in Iraq for as long as is needed. It is our desire we go from Iraq as soon as possible. As soon as possible means when the job is done - and the job is building up that Iraqi capability."
Mr Blair said it was still a very tough situation. The insurgents in Iraq were well armed, well financed and prepared to kill anybody. But there was a changed situation in the country after the election.
"The terrorists and insurgents, whatever damage they can do, they are doing it. But it is very clear now from inside and outside Iraq that they have no popular support," Mr Blair said.
Global terrorism could not be defeated by security or military means alone. "It also has to be defeated by the promotion of democracy, human rights and bringing freedom to people. That's at stake in Iraq," he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/09/nblair109.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/09/ixnewstop.html
Daar gaan we weer....