Disaster for Blair as Iraq torture claims widen

The British government was warned by Red Cross officials in February that coalition troops were abusing and even killing Iraqi captives, it emerged last night. Downing Street has been dragged into the deepening crisis after admitting ministers were shown a copy of the Red Cross report detailing abuses so that action could be taken.
The revelation prompted immediate opposition demands that Tony Blair explain what he and senior government colleagues knew and what steps they took to stop the abuse of captives. Last night, there was further severe embarrassment for the British military after it emerged a second regiment was apparently involved in the mistreatment of prisoners and that soldiers could face prosecution for sexual assault.
It was reported that as many as three members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers were under investigation by military police after officers were shown photographs of Iraqi captives being forced to commit homosexual acts. And in another development, the Ministry of Defence admitted that British military personnel were stationed at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, the scene of the most sadistic abuses by US soldiers, for several months earlier this year. It has already been suggested that much of the degrading treatment meted out to Iraqis was devised by the British as an interrogation tool.

Meanwhile, Scotland on Sunday can reveal that Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is thrashing out a deal with US and Iraqi leaders to allow the vast majority of inmates in British-controlled prisons to come under Iraqi control when power is transferred on June 30.

Coalition forces are currently holding 8,000 prisoners in 14 separate jails around Iraq under the terms of the Geneva Convention, which dictates the conditions of prisoners of war (PoWs).

British military chiefs are desperate to hand over the responsibility to Iraqi police as soon as possible.

Senior ministerial source said last night: "We accept this situation has caused our forces great difficulty and it is in all our interests to see that this responsibility is removed from their roster.

"We have prisoners of war, security detainees and criminal detainees, but there is no reason why the vast majority of these cannot be guarded by local officials. I would expect that within a month of the handover we would only have a handful of the most hardened detainees still in our custody."


http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=528512004

Blair faces EU ambush over 'rewritten' constitution

Tony Blair was plunged into a fresh and damaging row over Europe yesterday when a new 130-page draft of the European constitution was shown to contain more threats to the Government's "red line" positions defending Britain's national interests.

The unexpectedly tough dossier, drawn up by the Irish government, which at present holds the EU's six-monthly presidency, proposes significant increases in the power of the European Commission at the expense of member states.

Among the amendments are moves to greatly strengthen the powers of the proposed EU "foreign minister" - an unelected commissioner - enabling him or her to give orders to the foreign ministers of member countries, including Jack Straw, and to control the EU corps of diplomats.

The ability of Britain and other member states to veto the appointment of the president and vice-president of the European Central Bank also comes under renewed threat, as does the independence of the bank itself.

The powers of the European Parliament in rejecting the Commission's budget - itself a contentious issue - would be greatly increased and there are even possible threats to Britain's right to levy taxes independently.

More decisions across a range of areas should, according to the proposed amendments, be taken by qualified majority voting, effectively removing the ability of Britain and other countries to wield a veto.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/09/neu09.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/05/09/ixportaltop.html

The UK DID sign into the International Court of Justice at the Hague.

They could, if evidence warrants it, (mamaged to type this with a straight face) indict Blair and request his transfer ex post facto to the Hague for trial...

Folks this will be one of those moments in human history were gettng your popcorn is worth getting... this could be entertaining... really... ah may you live in interesting times...

I mean, the guy is personable when he's not lying or enabling Bish's lies.

now let him sleep in it. (I always love using that cliche)

It really makes you wonder whether he was ever really this great politician that everyone made him out to be. I loved him when Clinton was President, but why would he ever hitch his wagon to the Bush train wreck?!?!

Wanted to be a span-the-party-change-in-the-US prime minister and not be forever associated with Clinton.

He got his wish and his 15 minutes of fame. Now he must face the music.

I can't keep up with all of this stuff anymore. Wasn't that about the same time this stuff was about to come out?