Britain Mulls Buildup in Middle East, Citing Iran
As Cameron Moves to Sell Arms, Officials Talk Up Regional Interests
British officials quoted in the Daily Telegraph say that the British government is considering a considerable build-up in their military presence in the Persian Gulf region with an eye toward the “threat” they perceive from Iran.
Whether the comments represent a serious interest in such a deployment or not is unclear, as Prime Minister David Cameron is in the region trying to sell weapons right now, and British officials may simply be trying to prove a “interest” in the region.
Indeed, in comments today Cameron sought to defend the sales of weaponry to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, insisting that the warplanes and such are “completely legitimate” instruments of self-defense and that he is simply trying to promote UK businesses.
The British premier’s visits and the pre-tour goal of moving 100 British Typhoon warplanes suggest the visit is mostly about money, and while Cameron insisted his government will not shy away from criticizing the nations he is selling weapons to on human rights violations, his comments appear to have begun and ended with that claim, and then it was back to sealing the deal.
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robert emmet
November 5th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Well I guess British Petroleum wants to get its evil hands again on Iranian oil that it lost in 1953. No better man than a toady like David Cameron to facilitate this undertaking.
mojo
November 5th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
This is the Neo liberal fascism at work, from Sweden to England they all after pocketing from war machinery sales to tyrants in Persian gulf, they are by no means after democracy or understand the concept, that's why they cheat an steal from their own people to save for their vulture capitalism, selling weapons is one of them, starting wars is another connecting the two reasons.
MichaelKenny
November 6th, 2012 at 8:14 am
The whole article is based on an anonymous source. Knowing the Telegraph, that makes me suspect that the article is a fabrication designed to create the wholly false impression that the British Government backs an attack on Iran. The background to this is the legal advice given to the British Government that it could not permit the airbase on Diego Garcia to be used for an attack on Iran. Without Diego Garcia, any attack on Iran could be made only with carrier-based planes, i.e no stealth bombers, for example. That is unlikely to suit the Telegraph's agressively pro-American and pro-Israel line!