Tony Blair, in calling for Australian assistance, has invoked the circumstances of Australia's UK support in World War Two

Two months from the date of 6/6/06, the British Prime Minister has called for what is basically a Global Alliance against Islam.

After spending a few minutes on jokes and feelgoods to "warm up" his audience (dodging crows in Adelaide as a child taught him to deal with the media, etc) Blair launched into his prepared invitation to join the US in a global Alliance.  This alliance is, unlike the Bush version, not "against" or "on" anything, but "for" the values that Western society holds dear.  "If we want to secure our way of life, there is no alternative but to
fight for it... we need to construct an alliance for these global values
and act through it." Mr Blair said.

Mr Blair was cautious about international relationships with the US, saying that   "The danger with America today ... is that they will pull up the drawbridge and not engage." and appeared to questioning US motives in saying that "If our security lies in our values.. then the agenda must be more than security and the alliance include more than America

Mr Blair says that behind the "evil" terrorists  are the many who are fear the West's motives, and that these are the people who need to be reached, saying that a clear message had been sent when "We did not turn on Muslims- we turned on terrorists.

The UK Prime Minister's assertion, following last week's  US secretary of State Condilezza Rice is airing the possibility of American troop reductions in Iraq due to Iraqi forces taking and holding territory now"  and a Fox-announced declaration of a reduction of UK troops in Iraq by 10 per cent while Australia says that its troops will stay in Iraq to help Iraqi forces.  Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, speaking after Dr Rice's Australian visit, said that "We will be supporting the Iraqi security forces,
Iraqi police and Iraqi local government in administering and managing
their own affairs. And we will respond to requests from the Iraqi
government," 

Creation of a permanent Coalition Of The Willing in the form of "Global Alliance" will  do no harm to US President Bush's approval ratings.  Such a device will be useful in showing the "War President" to the US public as not a leader but a participant in any future "Crusade"

In a recent survey carried out by a polical consultancy firm, 49% of respondendts said that foreign troops were in Iraq to "protect oil interests" and only three per cent believed that participation was to protect democracy.

Are Blair's lines intended mainly as an influence on the Australian public or as a vote-grabber at home?  The pre-release of the worlds uttered in our parliament to the UK press made sure his speech was in time for today's UK  papers, alongside his decision to continue in politics despited bribery allegations.  Such a strategy may become useful for Howard and his cabinet after the announcements of the Cole Inquiry into Australian bribes in Iraq.  Participation in a Global Alliance may also be a handy excuse for Australia's PM to run for another term of office.

Mr Blair concluded his speech today by likening the current international situation to the UK's war on Nazism, and appealling for similar support from Australia as to that given "on the very first day" of World War Two. This is where it all gets a little disturbing.  In 1939 the UK was a potential target of invasion and occupation, and suffered greatly through direct military attack.  In using this analogy is Mr Blair inferring that  the UK will be under direct attack?  And what about Australia.?  Suddlenly an altruistic concept begins to reek of bloodshed and carnage.

If the Australian military can focus a recruitment campaign on a car called Armygeddon, then what could a propaganda-minded attacker do with such a portentious date as 6/6/06/.  We've had an amazing string of easy-to-remember dates if import- 9/11 , 10/10  and 7/7... the chance of  6/6/6 not becoming a historical landmark is diminishing. 

Have a look at these words: 

"My most important job is to protect you, is to protect the American people.  therefore, when we see threats, given the lesson of September the 11th, we got to deal with them.  That doesn't mean militarily, necessarily.  Obviously the first option for a President has got to be the full use of diplomacy.  That's what you're watching in Iran right now.  I see a threat in Iran.  I see it there- I'm kind of getting off subject here, not because I don't want to answer your question, but kind of- I guess, thats what happens in Washington, we get a little long-winded.  But, now that I'm on Iran, the threat to Iran, of course- the threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally Israel.  That's a threat, a serious threat.  It's a threat to world peace; it's a threat, in essence, to a strong alliance.  I made it clear, I"ll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally, Israel."

At any rate, our objective is to solve this issue diplomatically.  And so our message must be a united message, a message from not only the United States, but also Great Britain and France and Germany, as well as Russia, hopefully, as well as Russia hopefull, and China, in order to say, loud and clear to the Iranians, this is unacceptable behaviour.

In the light of these words from US President Bush, Mr Blair's address to the Australian Parliament have an ugly shadow.

 This statement was made by Bush last week when asked a question on whether he thought the rise in terrorism and looming of war with Iran were signs of the coming of the Apocalypse.  He preceded his comments with: "..I haven't really thought of it that way. The first I've heard of that, by the way.  I guess I'm more of a practical fellow."

 Mr Blair's words are remarkably similar to those he used at a UK Labour Party conference shortly after the London bombings. This concerns me even more.

"The greatest danger is that we fail to face up to the nature of the threat we are dealing with.  What we witnessed in London last Thursday was not an aberrant act. 

It was not random.  It was not a product of particular local cirumstances in West Yorkshire. 

 Senseless though any such horrible murder is, it was not without sense for its organisers.  It had a purpose.  It was done according to a plan.  It was meant.

What we are confronting here is an evil ideology.

It is not a clash of civilisations- all civilised people, Muslim or other, feel revulsion at it.  But it is a global struggle and it is a battle of ideas, hearts and minds, both within Islam and outside it.

 

This is the battle that must be won, a battle not just about the terrorist methods but their vies.  Not just their barbaric acts, but their barbaric ideas.  Not only what they do but what they think and the thinking they would impose on others "

 

Heaven help the Global Alliance.

Postscript:  .The Tuesday editorials of the Age, SMH and even the Herald-Sun don't mentiion Mr Blair's speech at all,  while the The Daily Telegraph and  The Australian are appropriately supportive 

Boldly going it alone is the The Adelaide Advertiser saying
that to a withdrawal from Iraq might subject its citizens to the tenets
of "A strict interpretation of Iraqi law, denying them of
"religious,social, employment, educational and gender rights." The
editorial says that Iraqis would become "the victims
of discrimination which would be intolerable in most western
societies."  My local newspaper is telling my fellow citizens that the war in Iraq is a war against Islam.