Direct action could shut down UK

Got to hand it to Blair, sticking to his guns even as his nation produces the biggest demonstrations in its history. But from the looks of it, this weekend was only the appetizer. Protest organizers are planning to shut down the country if (when) the shooting starts. And direct action may be practiced around US Air Force bases.

And London is becoming ground central of the anti-war movement.

International campaigners from the US, Asia and elsewhere are expected to meet in London in the next week to consider further coordinated opposition to war.

This is a great development -- Blair is probably the only person in this world that can still stop an Iraq invasion. Britain has committed 30,000 troops to the conflict, and are undoubtedly part of the US war plan.

If Blair backs down now, it would probably force the US to redraw its war plans, make do with less forces, and truly make this a unilateral war (losing what little diplomatic and moral cover Britain's participation is providing). In other words, those British protesters are probably our last hope to avert immediate war.

And euphoric over this past weekend's great successes, it looks like the British anti-war movement will be pressing its advantage.

Blair, for his part, is refusing to blink.

Posted February 17, 2003 09:26 AM | Comments (32)