Iran Nuclear Watch: Tony Blair – “Nuking Iran Absolutely Absurd”
Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair addresses the media at his monthly news conference in Downing Street, London May 8, 2006. Blair on Monday rejected calls from within his party to name a date for his departure, saying such a move would paralyse government.
ASSociated Press: Blair: Nuking Iran Would Be Absurd
Prime Minister Tony Blair says that any consideration of a nuclear attack against Iran would be “absolutely absurd,” and said the issue had no bearing on his decision to demote his foreign secretary.
Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary, had described alleged U.S. contingency plans for a tactical nuclear strike against Iran as “completely nuts.”
Of course there was specualtion that Prime Minisiter Blair and that former foreign secretary Jack Straw had disagreements over Iran policy. Flap covered the story here.
Blair previously had avoided any condemnation of the idea and defended the right of President Bush to hold all options in reserve in the showdown over Iran’s nuclear program.
Some analysts believed that differences over Iran led to Blair’s decision on Friday to move Straw to the less-exalted position of leader of the House of Commons.
Asked at a news conference whether he shared Straw’s view of any thought of a nuclear strike, Blair said: “I don’t know anybody who has even talked or contemplated the prospect of a nuclear strike in Iran and that would be absolutely absurd, which may be a different way of saying what you have just quoted to me.
“But it (Straw’s reassignment) has got nothing to do with that. Look, in the end I’m afraid as prime minister you do reshuffle your Cabinet from time to time.”
U.S. officials _ from Bush on down _ have left open the possibility of a military response if Iran does not end its nuclear ambitions. Several reports published Sunday said the administration was studying options for military strikes; one account raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iran’s underground nuclear sites.
And the reader expects Blair to acknowledge war planning in the press?
Stay tuned……
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The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.
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