White House frustrated with Gordon Brown over Iran

[T_i_B]

Source: Sunday Telegraph

The Bush administration is losing patience with Gordon Brown over Iran, with senior American diplomats frustrated by his reluctance to declare bluntly that the Islamic state must never be allowed nuclear weapons.

Allies of Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, have told The Sunday Telegraph that the Prime Minister should emulate France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and warn that Iran may face military action, in order to help avert a new war in the Middle East.

The concerns reflect growing irritation in Washington, from the White House down, that Mr Brown will not match his more robust private conversations on Iran with hard-hitting public statements that would put pressure on the Teheran regime.

White House officials have accused him of double-talk for offering support in private then sanctioning senior ministers to distance themselves from the Bush administration in public.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/11/wiran111.xml

[YDogg]

1. Bummer.

Any story that starts with "White House frustrated" cannot be all bad.

[LeftishBrit]

8. As our National Anthem puts it..

'Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks'

Originally it referred to the rebellious Scots (just like Broon); but it can readily be applied to the Bushies!

[spirit of wine]

2. Just knowing the difference in the education of these two

will automatically have me side with Gordon Brown any day of the week. Bush, at this point seems to be a leader nobody wants to upset, for obvious reasons, but we all need to move beyond our personal fears of this for the benefit of the country.

[ShaneGR]

3. Bush to British, "Be like the French"

Ya, I'm sure the Brits are just falling all over themselves to emulate a French guy.

[Cronus Protagonist]

29. Does he want some FREEDOM FRIES with that crow? (n/t)

:P

[liberal N proud]

4. How will they twist his arm?

It happens time and time again people have started to stand up to these monsters only to "flip-flop"

[Andy Canuck]

6. I don't think they can twist his arm,

he is either fucking with administration knowing they are stupid and will hang on Brown's every private word of war and aggressive talk when he has no intention of attacking. He no knows as long as he leaves the carrot of joining an attack the Bushies won't attack him.

or he is negotiating a sweeter deal for Britatin behind the scenes. He saw how Britain was screwed after so aggressively supporting the attack on Iraq and he probably wants a written agreement to what booty, rights and privileges Britain will recieve for joining the fight.

[Andy Canuck]

16. I just reread my posting and saw glaring errors.

But it is too late to edit them out. All I can say is I hadn't had my coffee when I wrote my original posting. Point being though, my guess is, Brown is playing the Bushies along for a better deal.

[lligrd]

5. Freedom Muffins?

Now that we can but french fries again, what British products shall we boycott?

[LeftishBrit]

7. Freedom and Chips?

Yorkshire Pudding will become Texas Pudding?

No one will be allowed a nice cuppa tea?

And the Bushies will sing the new song about:

"Bad, bad Gordon Brown,
Meanest man in the whole damn town,
Left-er than a Democrat,
And meaner than old Chirac!"

[daleo]

18. The "English" language will have to go

Perhaps it can be replaced with NewSpeak.

[rodeodance]

9. Sarkozy is the new bushie puddle

[hatrack]

10. "Losing Patience"; "Irritation"; "Frustrated" - The White House sounds like a fourth-grader . . .

A fourth-grader denied another hour of PlayStation because it's time to go to bed.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. They probably think it makes them sound like a scary empire

And everyone will immediately kowtow. Those days are probably over.

[blm]

17. Brown isn't as easily influenced by Bill Clinton as Tony Blair was.

Brown is closer to Gore and Kerry than he is to Clinton.

[DLnyc]

12. This is a joke, right?

Please tell me this is a joke:

" . . .should emulate France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and warn that Iran may face military action, in order to help avert a new war in the Middle East."

These guys give idiots a bad name.

[anakie]

13. Iran may face military action, in order to help avert a new war

rather Orwellian don't you think


Peace

[lovuian]

14. Brown is really on shakey ground being like the poodle

will make it shakier for him

[scipan]

15. fool me once...can't get fooled again

This is awfully familiar. Bush wants a green light from Brown to attack Iran.

[humbled_opinion]

19. Heck of a job Brownie... lol ... n/t

[defendandprotect]

20. Nothing to blackmail him with yet ? Or buy him off? Wait . . .. !!!

[...of J.Temperance]

21. Gordon Brown

Effectively flips the bird to the idiot in the WH.

Obviously something that should be applauded.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Don't get too excited: "PM to show enthusiasm for US link"

Gordon Brown will attempt to repair his battered relations with President Bush by insisting that the US remains Britain's closest ally.

The Prime Minister will use his annual Mansion House foreign policy speech to try to quash speculation that he values transatlantic ties less than his predecessor, Tony Blair.

He will also signal support for America's tough stance against Iran - insisting now is the time to "ratchet up" diplomatic pressure, and again refusing to rule out support for military strikes.

A Downing Street source said Mr Brown was determined that there would be "no misunderstandings" about his enthusiasm for the special relationship.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7069753,00.html

Specific quotes from a TV interview yesterday:

In a television interview yesterday, Brown said: "I want to send a message more generally about the foreign policy of our country. I think it's important to remember that Britain is part of a network of relationships around the world - we're part of the European Union, we're part of Nato, we're part of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth heads of government meeting will be held in Uganda very soon - and the strength of our relationship with America is incredibly important to the future of the world. If we're going to rebuild the international institutions as I think we should be doing, to meet the challenges of the next stage, then we want to work with America to enable us to do so."

He said that central to the way Britain conducts its foreign policy was the great change taking place in diplomatic relations which saw Germany, France and the EU moving more closely with the US, a position he said was to the benefit of Britain and the world. "America is our most important ally, it will always be because of the values we share with America," he told Sunday Live on Sky News."There's a great opportunity for all of us to work together to reshape the international institutions, to make them fit-for-purpose for the decade that we are in, rather than the 1940s ."

Asked whether he would back the US in military action against Iran, Brown said: "The diplomatic route is bearing some success and it's got to be stepped up over the next period of time, if that becomes necessary."

He added: "I think people are genuinely worried about the nuclear ambitions of Iran, in contravention of everything that has been promised. I believe, however, that while nothing should be ruled out it is important to say that the sanctions we are placing on Iran are having some effect."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2209555,00.html

[rodeodance]

23. Is Jr. stomping his feet!!

[kskiska]

24. It was so much nicer when * had a poodle

to sit, stay, go fetch, etc.

[goforit]

25. Does England have something up their sleeve to smolder the Bushies?

I wouldn't be surprised if The Queen chooses to taketh us over, ......gang.

[LeftishBrit]

26. The Queen has no say in political matters, so no!

And Brown hasn't the power to 'take over' the Bushies; at most, he might abandon them and go his own way, and I'm not even very confident of that.

[DS1]

27. I want my Poodie-Scones back!

WAAAAH

[armodem08]

28. Another poodle-prod from the ToryGraph.... n/t