British PM hit by backlash: Straw breaks cabinet ranks over ME
LONDON, July 30: British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared increasingly isolated on Sunday over his handling of the Lebanon crisis after his former foreign secretary Jack Straw broke cabinet ranks to attack Israel’s ‘disproportionate’ assault on Hezbollah.
Blair, on a tour of the United States, defended his support of US President George W. Bush’s refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire or condemn Israel’s response, which has led to criticism abroad and in Britain.
Straw’s criticism came as at least 52 people were killed, including 30 children, when Israeli war planes on Sunday blitzed a village in Lebanon, in the most lethal single strike since the Jewish state unleashed its war on Hezbollah 19 days ago.
Straw, who was replaced as foreign secretary by Margaret Beckett in a May cabinet reshuffle, warned that Israel’s retaliatory attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon risked fuelling further violence in the Middle East.
He is the most senior Labour figure to criticise Israel in such a public way, though newspapers reported that other Blair allies were privately voicing their disquiet about his refusal to censure the scale of Israel’s assault.
“Disproportionate action only escalates an already dangerous situation,” Straw said in a statement to Muslims in his constituency of Blackburn, northwest England.
“One of the many serious concerns that I have is that the continuation of such tactics by the Israelis could further destabilise the already fragile Lebanese nation.
“If you want to go for Hezbollah, go for Hezbollah, not the whole Lebanese nation,” said Straw, who was demoted in May to the lesser cabinet post of leader of the House of Commons, responsible for arranging government business.
Straw’s successor Beckett on Sunday described as ‘quite appalling’ Israeli raids on the Lebanese village of Qana, adding that Britain has ‘repeatedly urged the Israelis to act proportionately’.
However, speaking to Sky News, she refrained from calling the Qana attack disproportionate, claiming simply that it was a ‘tragedy’ for the families of those killed.
In San Francisco where Blair was seeking to promote British business interests, a spokesman for the prime minister downplayed Straw’s comments as a ‘reflection’ of what junior foreign minister Kim Howells said on a recent visit to Lebanon.
Other cabinet ministers rallied to Blair’s defence.
“I’ve read what Jack has said and Jack gives a balanced account of what’s going on, and he says — like all of us — we’re looking for a durable ceasefire,” said Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer, a close ally of Blair.
“There was a non-divisive discussion about it,” added the minister who heads the judiciary.
“We need a ceasefire right across the area that stops the appalling things we’re seeing. And everyone in the cabinet is right behind that.”—AFP
Our Correspondent adds from New Delhi: India on Sunday strongly condemned Israel’s bombing of a refugee shelter in Lebanon and demanded an unconditional ceasefire between the Hezbollah and the Zionist state.
The unusually strong criticism of Israel by its close ally follows mounting criticism by Indian Muslims of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s soft handling of American and Israeli policies in the current war.
“India strongly condemns the continued irresponsible and indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon by the Israeli military, ignoring calls for restraint,” a foreign ministry statement said.
“Particularly outrageous is the bombing this morning of a building in Qana in south Lebanon, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocent civilians, mostly women, children and old people who had taken shelter there.”
The statement expressed condolences to the government and people of Lebanon.
The statement condemned the air strikes on UN peacekeeping troops deployed on the Israel-Lebanon border, saying they resulted in two Indian soldiers getting wounded on Saturday.
“India is deeply concerned over the escalation of this conflict, and reiterates its call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, so that further loss of life and property can be prevented and humanitarian aid can reach the affected people,” the statement said.
A ceasefire should be followed by negotiations leading to a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the problems of the region that would take into account the legitimate interests and grievances of all parties, the Indian statement said.
