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Mr BLAIR APPOINTED AS A PEACE ENVOY??  WHATEVER NEXT?

For immediate use 27 June 2007

When news spread today that Tony Blair was resigning as a Member of Parliament as well as Prime Minister, the question was asked -  why did Mr Blair choose to give up his Parliamentary seat?   The answer soon became clear - because he had to do so in order to take up his new post as a Peace Envoy in the Middle East. 

This news was greeted with absolute disgust by socialists and the anti war movement.  “Tony Blair an envoy for peace – now that is a real contradiction in terms,” Campaign for a New Workers’ Party spokesperson and local Stop the War Coalition convenor Pete McLaren stated this evening.  “Tony Blair has spent the last four years illegally bombing and then occupying Iraq,” he continued, “leading to the deaths of over 650,000 Iraqi civilians, many of them women and children, and hundreds of troops.  This has brought total instability to the whole region, and, according to US intelligence reports and leaked British Cabinet papers, has fuelled global terrorism rather than preventing it as Blair and Bush claim.  How hypocritical to give the man of war a job to promote peace – and in the same region.” 

“The whole thing smacks of cronyism,” Pete McLaren added.  “Tony Blair has been doing everything President Bush has demanded as they both seek to dominate the world, mostly with the support of the European Union and, more reluctantly, the United Nations.  Who has appointed Blair to this post in the Middle East?  Who will Blair be working on behalf of?  None other than the USA, the EU, the UN and, with some misgivings, Russia.  The whole thing stinks.  It sends a message to the world – lead an unjustified and illegal invasion and occupation of a sovereign power, however unpleasant its own leader may have been, and implement policies directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people – and you are rewarded with a top diplomatic post.  Then, to pour salt on the wound, we find that post is one of peacemaker.  What an insult to those who genuinely strive for peace.  Words fail me,” he concluded

Pete McLaren is CNWP Press Officer and Convenor of Rugby Stop The War Coalition

NOTES 

The Campaign for a New Workers’ Party (CNWP) was launched in London at a Conference attended by 450 socialists and trade unionists on  March 19. Over 2,500 supporters have already signed the founding declaration, and a number of left groups have affiliated.  Officers and a Steering Committee have been elected.  The CNWP founding Declaration can be seen on our web site: www.cnwp.org.uk

For further information contact:

Pete McLaren on 07881 520626

Dave Nellist on 07970 294237

or

Email: pete.mclaren@virgin.net

info@cnwp.org.uk

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