The British Government and the Middle East

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The British Government and the Middle East

Hamas Seeks Direct Talks with US

Tony Blair: US Peace Medal for War Criminal

Last week William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, faced questions on September 14 regarding the government’s stance on the current Middle East peace talks, which took place last week in Egypt, Israel and the US brokered by the US imperialists. The talks were the first to occur directly between the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Prime Minister of Zionist Israel for some two years and were designed to focus on discussions on substantive issues, including the future borders of the proposed Palestinian and Israeli states. As always there are efforts to present these talks as a historic opportunity for a breakthrough.

However, at the present time the Israeli Zionist have refused to even extend the moratorium on the construction of illegal settlements on the occupied West Bank, which according to the Palestinian negotiators threatens to bring the talks to an end. Over the weekend, Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told William Hague that Israel would not extend the moratorium on settlement building past its late-September deadline, according to newspaper reports. Then, in advance of talks on September 15, the Zionist regime went as far as to launch an aerial bombardment of the Gaza tunnels, constructed in order to overcome the blockade which it has imposed and bring essential supplies to the Palestinian people.

The current talks, like those in the past, are completely unjust, do not recognise the need to right the historic wrong inflicted on the Palestinian people and make reparation for it, nor their inalienable right to self-determination. Indeed the talks continue to perpetrate the denial of the rights of the Palestinians to their homeland and are geared to satisfying the interests of US imperialism, and its proxy Israel, in the region. The elected government of Gaza, Hamas, is entirely excluded from the talks, which speaks volumes as to their true nature.

The Foreign Secretary, in his remarks in Parliament reiterated the view of successive governments, which is to label Hamas, a “terrorist” organisation, a term that is never applied to the Zionist state. He stressed that the government is continuing to support what he referred to as “moderate” Palestinians – in other words continuing to meddle in the internal affairs of the Palestinian people, and to create and exacerbate divisions in order to undermine the just struggle of the Palestinians.

In answer to another question, William Hague made it clear that the government will continue to impose sanctions and make threats against Iran, even refusing to rule out military action, in line with the strategy of the US imperialists, the other big powers and Zionist Israel. It is evident that the Anglo-American imperialists will continue to use Israel as a proxy against Iran and as a means to justify their continuing support for the Zionist regime. The agreement made earlier this year between Iran, Turkey and Brazil for the processing of uranium from Iran completely exposed the machinations of the US and British governments and their allies and highlighted the fact that their attacks on Iran are completely unjust.

The ConDem government is continuing the stance of successive Labour governments in regard to the Middle East. While posing as the friend of the Palestinian people it remains their greatest enemy, intent on fishing in troubled waters, maintaining insecurity in the region or securing a resolution which continues to favour the Anglo-American alliance and Zionist Israel. Not only does it continue to attack the rights of the Palestinian people but is intensifying its warmongering threats against the government and people of Iran.

The continuation of the crimes and injustices perpetuated by successive British governments and their allies in the Middle East point to the urgent need of an anti-war government. What must be demanded and fought for is that Britain ceases its threats warmongering and interference in the Middle East, fully recognises the rights of the Palestinian people and makes reparation for the crimes committed against them.

Hamas on Sunday, September 19, called on the United States for direct dialogue. Hamas said in a statement emailed to Xinhua that it had recently sent a letter to the US administration, calling for direct talks between the movement and the US and ending the US double standard policy in dealing with the Palestinian cause.

"The government (Hamas) had sent official letters to a senior US delegation visiting the Gaza Strip, some political figures and professors, calling on the US to start direct dialogue with Hamas," said the statement.

Lifting the US veto on the inter-Palestinian reconciliation “would facilitate achieving it and ending the US double standard in dealing with the Palestinian cause" the statement said, adding that the Hamas government does not oppose the idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

"We reject the bribery offered by the US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to the Palestinians for resuming the negotiations, mainly easing the siege, lifting some roadblocks and releasing some prisoners in Israeli jails. These are existing rights that were confiscated by Israel," said the statement.

The Hamas government also warned of what it termed as “unofficial channels of negotiations, which may surprise the Palestinian people with a new treaty similar to Oslo Agreement", adding that "we have expressed our clear stance that we are against the direct and indirect peace negotiations".

(source: Xinhua)

Tony Blair, the war criminal of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, was awarded on September 13 the “Liberty Medal” at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia by former President Bill Clinton. The previous week, Blair had been pelted with shoes, eggs, and beer bottles during the signing of his memoirs in Ireland, and was then forced to cancel signings in Britain. Far from getting a medal, Tony Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes.

Estimates put the civilian death-toll in Iraq at one million people, since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. After stepping down as Prime Minister, Tony Blair has toured the world as a public speaker, reportedly charging up to £250,000 for a 90 minute speech. Since leaving 10 Downing Street, it is believed Blair has made between £20 and £30 million. He received an obscene amount as advance for his new book, donated to a charity that helps military veterans, which has been condemned as “blood money”.

In Palestine, Blair used his position as envoy of the “Middle East Quartet” (UN, US, EU and Russia) to help the so-called “Wataniya projects”, which have benefited his personal commercial sponsors. It was reported that the Wataniya project was faced with problems by the Israeli occupation, which threatened to the end the project, which were solved by Tony Blair through his intervention with Israel.

Blair was never welcomed in Palestine, and was denounced during a tour of Hebron. “You are a terrorist, a war criminal, you are not welcome in the land of Palestine, get out of our holy land”, a Palestinian from the Hamdan family shouted in Blair’s face.