Labour UPSET by Blair/Brown SNUB

Daily Mail: Reports Labour MPs are upset that former Leaders, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have not been invited to the Royal Wedding: Poor Labour, so far no apology from Tony Blair for Iraq, a mild apology abroad from Gordon Brown for nearly bankrupting the Country as Chancellor and PM. I think the Royal Couple can invite who like to THEIR wedding, the Labour Party really don’t get the fact as to why the lost in 2010, if they think that they don’t have any responsibility for Iraq or the banking collapse then they are heading for defeat in 2015.

General Petraeus = Next CIA Chief

BBC News: Reports that the US Commander of NATO Forces in Afghanistan General David Petraeus will be the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The present head of the CIA Leon Panetta will take over from US Defence Secretary Robert Gates when he retires this year. One has to say this is smart move by POTUS, he keeps the well respected General Petraeus in national security system of the US government, there for advice over Afghanistan policy but also keeps the General from running against President Obama in 2012. As to Afghanistan Policy the US has a problem, the Obama line is that the US would start withdrawal this year, dependent on the security context in Afghanistan. Lets be clear folks, once you tell the enemy that you are leaving they can either wait you out, of course there is the risk from their side that NATO might have created a firm foundation for Kabul to run a secure Afghanistan, not holding my breath on that folks. On other hand the Taliban/Al Qaeda might want to claim victory for pushing out the Western forces, aka the Soviet Union. If the security in Afghanistan is not secure then the Taliban can move in once the West has left, the Taliban of Pakistan would have a secure base as to attack the Western supported Government of Pakistan. The problem is that Pakistan is a nuclear armed country. When one thinks of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the right policy, one thinks of Vietnam, no good options but lesser evil choices, its that bad folks.

NATO Unleashed - Libya

The New York Times: Reports that NATO has escalated its attacks in Libya, the next step is to attack the command and control structure of the Gaddafi Regime, also take out the power structures of the Libyan Regime, even State TV. This is down to the fact folks that Washington D.C, London, Paris, and Rome can not afford for Gaddafi to win, lets take the example of POTUS, he faces re-election next year, in the Presidential debates does he want the Republican nominee to attack him for being weak over Libya. In the UK Coalition PM David Cameron does not want a long war, there is always a chance that a RAF plane might get shot down, or the military advisers might get in to combat and get killed. Thus in pure political terms both Obama and Cameron want a quick kill of Gaddafi, either he dies in Libya or dies abroad, as long as he is no longer in power that is the end result required by the West. Thus lets see if NATO can get lucky, and more important the Libyan people.

Deraa DEATHS = Libya

Guardian: Reports that the residents of the Syrian City of Deraa face artillery and sniper fire from the Syrian Security Forces. Thus one has to ask what is the point of the UN, people are getting killed in their own streets by their own government, and so far d-m all from the UN. The World Community reacted to the repression of Colonel Gaddafi with military force, why not Syria, simple folks, Syria is a major player in the inter connected politics of the Middle East, any attack on Syria would bring in Iran. The Obama Administration has tried the hand out approach to Syria, so far not that successful, thus the West does not want to push Syria more in to the clutches of Iran, the Arab Spring started to fall apart in Libya but has finished in Syria. There will be strong words from the World Community but that’s it folks, Libya has proved to be problematic, any action over Syria could lead to a regional Middle East War, thus a nuclear armed Israel and the prospective nuclear armed Iran could come in to conflict, thus it’s a game no one wants to play, in this POTUS is right to keep to the rhetoric.
　

Hot Air and Syria

Telegraph: Reports on the statement by the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague that the UK and EU could seek sanctions on the Syria Government should the repression continue in Syria. This is hot air folks, hundreds have been killed and all the UK can do is threaten sanctions at some future date, as stated the Obama Administration and the West is very wary of placing sanctions on Syria, it’s a major player in the Middle East, also it would make Iran even more important to Syria. Not holding my breath for sanctions folks.

The Long Road in Libya = UK Government

BBC News: Reports that Number 1O Downing Street has flagged that the UK will be in Libya for a long time. It easy to get in to a War, its not easy to get out, also its more difficult when that War in military terms in a stalemate, the NATO air strikes have prevented the Gaddafi Regime from wiping out the Eastern rebels and a total massacre in Misrata in the West of Libya, but in the long haul this War is damaging to NATO, the UK and its close Allies and the Obama Administration. Lets be honest here folks, Libya in military terms is a third rate power and this War is still going on, NATO image is hurt by the impression that it cant topple Gaddafi, the UK, France and Italy look weak by not getting boots on the ground. In the case of Obama Administration it looks like President Obama wants to see a post super power US, a lot like Great Britain after the loss of India in 1947. Also at end of the day Gaddafi could still win, thus the people of Libya will suffer, a lot of negatives folks, Libya might just be to costly for the West in PR terms.

Syrian Unrest = Deraa

BBC News: Reports from sources within Syria that the Syrian Regime is using tanks against the Southern City of Deraa. It seems the Assad Regime has learned the lesson of Libya well, if you kill your own people and fast enough the outside world will do nothing till its to late. Lets be clear the UN might just pass economic sanctions against Syria but that it folks. All the powers within and outside the region have reasons for keeping the lesser evil of Assad in power. One has to feel sorry for the people of Syria who want Democracy, there will be no NATO air cover or military advisers, this is a fight they will have to win against a terrorist regime.