
But I'm
a bit worried that Tony may be deluding himself that his friends in
the White House share his altruistic ideals. I'm sure Tony has been
reading all the recent stuff about PNAC - "The Project For The
New American Century" - but has he looked at their website?

"So when George Bush and his colleagues talk about Saddam Hussein
posing a "threat" to America - they don't mean he's going
to drop bombs on Washington (how on earth could he without committing
national suicide?) - what they mean is that he poses a threat to American
military dominance in the Middle East."
As everybody
knows, the PNAC is a think-tank founded in 1997 by the people who are
now closest to President Bush - Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz,
Jeb Bush and so on. It's a pretty safe bet that what PNAC think is what
George W. Bush thinks. PNAC represents the thinking of the men now in
power in the United States.
PNAC's stated aims are to: "to shape a new century favourable to
American principles and interests", to achieve "a foreign
policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad",
"to increase defence spending significantly", and to pursue
"America's unique role in preserving and extending an international
order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles."
They don't split hairs at the PNAC. George W. Bush and his advisers'
stated aim is to ensure that America and American interests dominate
the entire world for the foreseeable future. And what's more they make
no bones of the fact that they intend to achieve this without diplomacy
- that's old hat. What PNAC intend to do is enforce the Pax Americana
through military might. Does Tony Blair know that? Has Tony Blair read
the PNAC Report called "Rebuilding Americas Defenses 2000"?
It refers to the new technologies of warfare and goes on: "Potential
rivals such as China are anxious to exploit these transformational technologies
broadly, while adversaries like Iran, Iraq and North Korea are rushing
to develop ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons as a deterrent to
American intervention in regions they seek to dominate."
So when
George Bush and his colleagues talk about Saddam Hussein posing a "threat"
to America - they don't mean he's going to drop bombs on Washington (how
on earth could he without committing national suicide?) - what they mean
is that he poses a threat to American military dominance in the Middle
East.
Does Tony Blair know that's what they mean?
In fact, does Tony Blair know that President Bush's advisers regard Saddam
Hussein as merely an excuse for military action in the area? The PNAC
Report of 2000 states: "the United States has for decades sought
to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved
conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for
a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue
of the regime of Saddam Hussein."
So Iraq is merely "the immediate justification" and Saddam's
regime is not so important as establishing American military might in
the Gulf.
Does Tony Blair know that?
If he has read PNAC's Report he knows that he is simply aiding US right-wing
militarism and extremist Republican plans for world domination. Surely
in such a cause he would not be prepared to expose the British people
to the nightmare of permanent terrorist threats and attacks. Surely for
such a cause he would not be prepared to set fire to the Middle East,
to destabilize the entire world for the foreseeable future and - most
important perhaps - to risk his own political neck by pursuing an evil
and almost universally despised policy.
On the other hand, if Tony Blair, has not read "Rebuilding Americas
Defenses 2000" or gone to the PNAC website to learn exactly what
motivates Rumsfeld, Cheney, Perle and Wolfowitz, and so on then why the
hell hasn't he?
Go to your computer now, Mr. Blair. Look at the reality behind all this
sanctimonious wringing of hands over the plight of the Iraqi people. Read
what your American Republican friends are really intending. Please.