NEW UK ADMINISTRATION SLAPS DOWN BUSH, NEOCONS ON IRAQ (Sunday Herald, UK)

The first hint of substantial change came with the speech in Washington DC by the international development secretary, Douglas Alexander. One of Brown's closest allies in the Cabinet, Alexander is a loyal servant, routinely circumspect with his words and careful not to upset his master.
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He told the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington that isolationism simply "does not work in an interdependent world", and that while a country's might was measured in the 20th century by what it could destroy, we were now in a different time, when strength should be measured by "what we can build together". Alexander subsequently talked of new alliances based on common values which "reach out to the world".

The message was clear: Bush's US neocon fantasy of a New American century, based on liberal interventionism and pre-emption linked to the spread of US-style democracy, was dead in the water and the new British prime minister wanted Bush to know Britain would be doing business differently from now on. Congress has been telling the White House something similar for months, and Alexander's tone wouldn't have come as a shock. In fact, it would have been interpreted as a show of solidarity by the Democrats and by some Republicans who have had enough of Bush's stance on Iraq and the Middle East.

Lord Malloch Brown's comments in a newspaper interview only added to the message Alexander was carrying in his diplomatic briefcase. The former United Nations deputy secretary-general - who is no fan of the Iraq war and the way the US sidelined the legal authority of UN with the blessing of Tony Blair - said he was not anti-American but was quite happy to be called anti-neocon, saying he would wear such a description as a "badge of honour".

This is a man who only weeks ago took the government whip, so he's unlikely to be willingly running the risk of losing his job. Saying Britain and the US will no longer be "joined at the hip" isn't a coded criticism, it's a statement of intent, a clear break from Blair. Brown has let these two lieutenants do some dirty work in advance of his forthcoming trip to Washington and his first encounter with Bush since he took over from Blair. Both Alexander and Malloch Brown have told the White House not to expect the same subservience, and although Downing Street tried to distance itself from the ministers' remarks, their rebuttal will have sounded shrill to Washington ears.

(BTW, What the hell happens to our 400-mile supply lines to the Green Zone when the British yank their troops out of the Basra port area? RD)

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(The link to the Sunday Herald is down at the moment "due to technical problems", but this isteh BBC story from an interview with the more senior Foreign Secretary from this morning)

Damage control, for sure. Disorganized new administration? Looks like they feel they should have censored themselves more before the comments were released.

But I think the former remarks, not the latter, indicate how they really feel.

Otherwise, was grateful for the article and for Britain's stance. Thanks for posting it.

Should have used the term "slapdown" or something similar. Hasty editing error. Sorry.