E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

US ready to fight ’without UK’
Edited for length.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has suggested that America would be prepared to take military action against Iraq — with or without Britain. He told a press briefing that the US had alternative plans if the UK decides not to go to war with Iraq. But Downing Street has expressed surprise at his remarks, insisting that if Saddam Hussein made the wrong moves, then Britain would be in at the front. In fact, it was made clear that rather than scaling down the UK's involvement in the conflict, the opposite was happening. In recent days military planners have been talking about Britain's "military contribution being greater than we thought".
The remarks were probably directed at Clare Short and her friends...
But Mr Rumsfeld said: "To the extent that they are able to participate - in the event that the President decides to use force - that would obviously be welcomed. "To the extent they are not, there are work arounds and they would not be involved, at least in that phase of it." Asked if that meant the US would go to war without its "closest ally", he added: "That is an issue that the president will be addressing in the days ahead, one would assume." The comments will come as a blow to Tony Blair who says he is willing to work "night and day" to secure enough common ground among UN security council members for a second resolution.
Tony, you're going to have to cut your losses. The time for negotiations is over.
Veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell, a long-standing critic of Mr Blair's stance, forecast moves would be made to call a special party conference to challenge Mr Blair's authority. But Labour Chairman John Reid told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the prime minister enjoyed widespread support in his party and across the UK although he acknowledged Iraq was a "big test" for Mr Blair. According to the Guardian newspaper, security sources at the UN suggest the new deadline could be pushed back "a few days" beyond the March 17 deadline in the draft resolution. France and Russia have warned that they would veto any new UN resolution, while UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said the legitimacy of any military action without a new UN mandate would be "seriously impaired".
Not as seriously as the UN will be impaired...

Posted by: Bulldog 2003-03-11
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=11180