thedrifter
03-18-03, 06:32 PM
Blair wins Parliament vote on Iraq war
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Posted: 5:57 PM EST (2257 GMT)
LONDON, England -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, facing one of his toughest challenges as party leader Tuesday, won a controversial vote in the House of Commons supporting his nation's military participation in a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq.
In a 412 to 149 vote, Blair staved off a major revolt by members of Parliament unhappy about British involvement in Iraq without backing from a second United Nations resolution.
Blair does not need parliamentary approval to take Britain into war. But observers said another rebellion in his ranks would be a major political embarrassment. Polls show a majority of Britons oppose a war without a second U.N. resolution.
During a speech before the vote, Blair said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had failed to comply with previous U.N. resolutions, and he said he believed dictators and international terrorists come together to wreak havoc.
He said he was concerned a dirty bomb might be set off in London or another major UK city.
Blair told a packed House of Commons: "Our fault has not been impatience, the truth is, our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and even years ago."
Iraq was not the only threat to the rest of the world, but "it is the test of whether we take this threat seriously," he said.
Failure to deal with Saddam would lead other nations to believe they could develop weapons of mass destruction with impunity, he said.
The U.N.'s credibility would be destroyed if no action was taken, he said: "To continue with strong language and weak intentions is the worst course imaginable."
Blair called for a new U.N. resolution covering humanitarian assistance as well as the administration and governance of Iraq.
Iain Duncan Smith, leader of the main opposition party, the Conservatives, said he would back the government line because it was "in the British interest."
In a vote on a possible war last month, 122 members of Blair's own Labour Party in Parliament voted against the government.
Blair suffered early setbacks with the resignation Monday of senior Cabinet minister Robin Cook, the House leader.
Cook told a packed parliament he could not support a war without international agreement or domestic support. (Speech in full)
Lord Hunt, a junior health minister in the House of Lords, the upper chamber, and Home Office Minister John Denham announced their resignations Tuesday.
Duncan Smith suffered three resignations from his front bench, including shadow environment minister Jonathan Sayeed, shadow home affairs minister Humfrey Malins, and shadow health minister John Baron.
But Labour's International Development Secretary Claire Short, who had threatened to resign if military action went ahead without U.N. backing, announced she will not leave her post.
"I know I will be heavily criticized for my decision and many people will feel I have let them down. But I am doing what I think is right in the circumstances which we are now in," she said.
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Copyright 2003 CNN.
Sempers,
Roger
I'm inpressed in all he has done.........
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Posted: 5:57 PM EST (2257 GMT)
LONDON, England -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, facing one of his toughest challenges as party leader Tuesday, won a controversial vote in the House of Commons supporting his nation's military participation in a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq.
In a 412 to 149 vote, Blair staved off a major revolt by members of Parliament unhappy about British involvement in Iraq without backing from a second United Nations resolution.
Blair does not need parliamentary approval to take Britain into war. But observers said another rebellion in his ranks would be a major political embarrassment. Polls show a majority of Britons oppose a war without a second U.N. resolution.
During a speech before the vote, Blair said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had failed to comply with previous U.N. resolutions, and he said he believed dictators and international terrorists come together to wreak havoc.
He said he was concerned a dirty bomb might be set off in London or another major UK city.
Blair told a packed House of Commons: "Our fault has not been impatience, the truth is, our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and even years ago."
Iraq was not the only threat to the rest of the world, but "it is the test of whether we take this threat seriously," he said.
Failure to deal with Saddam would lead other nations to believe they could develop weapons of mass destruction with impunity, he said.
The U.N.'s credibility would be destroyed if no action was taken, he said: "To continue with strong language and weak intentions is the worst course imaginable."
Blair called for a new U.N. resolution covering humanitarian assistance as well as the administration and governance of Iraq.
Iain Duncan Smith, leader of the main opposition party, the Conservatives, said he would back the government line because it was "in the British interest."
In a vote on a possible war last month, 122 members of Blair's own Labour Party in Parliament voted against the government.
Blair suffered early setbacks with the resignation Monday of senior Cabinet minister Robin Cook, the House leader.
Cook told a packed parliament he could not support a war without international agreement or domestic support. (Speech in full)
Lord Hunt, a junior health minister in the House of Lords, the upper chamber, and Home Office Minister John Denham announced their resignations Tuesday.
Duncan Smith suffered three resignations from his front bench, including shadow environment minister Jonathan Sayeed, shadow home affairs minister Humfrey Malins, and shadow health minister John Baron.
But Labour's International Development Secretary Claire Short, who had threatened to resign if military action went ahead without U.N. backing, announced she will not leave her post.
"I know I will be heavily criticized for my decision and many people will feel I have let them down. But I am doing what I think is right in the circumstances which we are now in," she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 CNN.
Sempers,
Roger
I'm inpressed in all he has done.........