Britain's Former ambassador to UN: "Bush has brought Shame on us all"

[kerry-is-my-prez]

"The West is like the Great Satan’
Sir Crispin Tickell tells Mary Wakefield that George Bush’s ‘illegal’ war has brought shame on us all

http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php?table=old§ion=current&issue=2004-05-29&id=4631&searchText=

Since signing the open letter that warned the Prime Minister (Blair) to ‘see better’ over Iraq and Israel, Sir Crispin has been caught in a flash flood of media requests and must swoop off to Newsnight in half an hour. No time for hot drinks.

Of the 50 former diplomats who signed the open letter, few can claim more capital letters than Sir Crispin. He has served as the Chef de Cabinet to the President of the European Commission, as our Ambassador to Mexico, Permanent Secretary in the Overseas Development Administration, British Permanent Representative to the United Nations and on the UN Security Council..... I should tell you that this letter has had astonishing public response. People from all over have been ringing me up and sending me emails saying, “Good on you, keep at it, because we’ve been profoundly uneasy ourselves.”

-snip-

‘The West must remember that we are not only characterised in the area as the Great Satan, but we are behaving as if we are the Great Satan,’ says Sir Crispin. ‘And the sad thing is that Britain is not using its influence to restrain America. When I was on the Security Council I sometimes had to sit with my American colleagues for hours saying, “This won’t work and we’re not going to support you.” We just don’t do that any more. Bush used Blair to persuade liberal America that war with Iraq was the civilised, right-thinking thing to do, but Britain gets nothing out of it. What’s the point of this special relationship if every time it comes to a disagreement, we give way?’

Sir Crispin leans forward. He seems engaged now, round blue eyes earnest, large hands clasped in front of him. Why, I ask him, is the current administration in Washington so cavalier about foreign policy? ‘I think it is impossible to overestimate the neoconservatives’ ignorance of the real world,’ he says. ‘Have you ever had a discussion with any of those people? It’s unbelievable. Profoundly discouraging, I can tell you. You have to go back absolutely to basics. The world they live in is not the world that you and I live in.’

much more.....

[Cheswick2.0]

1. The damn is finally breaking

Good for him.

[Poiuyt]

2. I think we should invade England

If they are calling us the Great Satan, then they obviously hate our freedom.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

4. Maybe we can get them to invade us. Naw - we'd never be so lucky..

n/t

[oblivious]

3. Oh my, is that ever true.

Have you ever had a discussion with any of those people? It?s unbelievable. Profoundly discouraging, I can tell you. You have to go back absolutely to basics. The world they live in is not the world that you and I live in.

I find the same thing talking to neocon supporters on-line. You just feel they're living in a different world. There's no point referring to history, because they consider it irrelevent. They KNOW, they BELIEVE.