New Iraq Troop Deployment Major Gamble for Blair

[Spazito]

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's decision to send new tanks to Iraq (news - web sites) to replace light infantry opens the door for a larger and more muscular deployment in future and represents a gamble for Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), defense analysts say.

The once unassailable Blair has seen his popularity ratings tumble in the wake of the unpopular invasion of Iraq last year and, with local and European elections next month, knows that further deployment could spell electoral doom. "The war is not doing the government any good, but it is not yet clear that it is a disaster," John Curtice, political analyst at Strathclyde University, told Reuters. "It just depends on how this goes."

snip

A poll this week showed two-thirds of Britons oppose sending more soldiers to Iraq and even some anti-war members of Blair's ruling Labor Party criticized Thursday's announcement.


Blair has led Labor to two successive electoral landslide victories, but is facing rising doubts about his ability to make it three in a row with elections widely expected in the first half of 2004.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=2&u=/nm/20040528/wl_nm/iraq_britain_dc

[mike_c]

1. wha???

"Blair has led Labor to two successive electoral landslide victories, but is facing rising doubts about his ability to make it three in a row with elections widely expected in the first half of 2004."

(emphasis mine)

Is this true? I haven't heard anything about elections in the near future. Is this a typo? The first half of 2004 is damn nearly finished....

[Spazito]

2. I am pretty sure it is a typo, should have been 2005

He has to hold an election by May 2006 at the latest so I am sure this should have said 2005.

[ze_dscherman]

4. Elections for the European parliament are due on June, 13th

These elections have no direct influence on national governments, and although many voters see them as unimportant. The British Liberal Democrats have proposed to vote AGAINST the blairite war policies.
If Blair gets kicked by voters, this will weaken his position within the Labour Party.

The decision about the deployment of troops will certainly not be announced before these elections.

[struggle4progress]

3. We're about to "hand over sovereignty" so ...

this is the natural time to add a lot of tanks to our arsenals there. :wtf: