In These New Times

Cailean Bochanan

2nd March, 2013

President Assad of Syria’s comments in an interview to the Sunday Times are unusually forthright from a diplomatic point of view. Is that because he is , as foreign secretary William Hague claims, “delusional” or is he speaking from a position of strength?

Most striking about the interview is its sole focus: the UK. No need, seemingly, to lambast Obama and  US  which has also a somewhat chequered history in the region and also worked “from behind” to overthrow Assad. Assad’s stance reflects the growing isolation of the UK and its increasingly delusion approach. We are seeing the same thing in Europe with our Canute-like stand against the reform of piratical finance especially as practised in the City of London.

Britain stands alone or, rather, doesn’t have a leg to stand on. The shift in direction in Washington has left us totally disorientated and without direction. It’s time to come quietly and recognise that the game is up. No we are not going to leads the “Friends of Syria” in a military campaign by proxy to overthrow Assad. No we are not about “to cut loose from Europe and become the world’s premier global capital instead”.
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

Well, judging by Assad’s statements that power could well be Syria. Let’s hope so because as Assad points out our current posturing is damaging to the national interest