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Blair Barks, Yaps, Rolls Over

As if we couldn't see it coming - Blair has done with showing backbone and now its time to backpedal before making some kind of backdoor deal

Last night, a British delegation, probably consisting of naval officers, legal experts and diplomats, was standing ready to fly to Iran at short notice. The team would not formally negotiate the release of the 15 sailors and marines seized by Iran on March 23, British officials insisted, but would try to produce a face-saving way out of the crisis for both sides by discussing how to avoid another incident in the northern Gulf.

"The next 48 hours will be fairly critical," Tony Blair said yesterday. But British officials are also bracing themselves for a news conference today by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has had little to say about the crisis.

"If they want to resolve this in a diplomatic way, the door is open," the prime minister said. But if the negotiations stalled, Britain would "take an increasingly tougher position".

How tough will that be Mr.Blair ??
All we can do is lie on our backs with our paws in the air and hope that no one will stamp on our tummies.
Oops - wrong quote - but it doesn't make much sense to send a team of extra hostaages British delegation to Iran unless some kind of deal is in the offing does it?

Of course what "Downing Street" said was:

There have been further talks between the UK and Iran this evening, including directly with Dr Ali Larijani.

On the basis of these, the Prime Minister believes that both sides share a desire for an early resolution of this issue through direct talks.

The Prime Minister remains committed to resolving this by diplomatic means. The UK has proposed direct bilateral discussions and awaits an Iranian response on when these can begin.

Which amounts to much the same thing - expect Tony Blair to be on TV soon waving a piece of paper which will guarantee "peace in our time" - espcecially as the most expedient way of finding a "face-saving way out of the crisis for both sides by discussing how to avoid another incident in the northern Gulf" - would mean British withdrawal ..

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