……..
Today, Prime Minister Theresa May announced in Parliament her decision to expel Russian intelligence officers in the aftermath of an attack on U.K. soil. The attack, in which a Russian-developed nerve agent made Sergei Skripal and his daughter critically ill, should have prompted Corbyn to offer solemn condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state aggression. Instead, Corbyn played perfectly into the hands of Russian propaganda messaging and again proved he’s a Kremlin stooge.
First, Corbyn asked if the British government had provided a sample of the nerve agent to Russia. This has been a Russian demand over the past few days but is one that is patently absurd. The British know that if they provide the sample, the Russians will be able to figure out how, where, and when the sample fell into U.K. hands, compromising British intelligence assets. The British also know that the Russians will just deny that the sample is what it is anyway, and either destroy it or replace it with another sample.
The basic point is that the Russians will play games. Corbyn must know this, and thus, it follows that his question was designed to deflect.
Second, Corbyn asked if May intended to maintain a “dialogue” with Russia, and he called on Putin to disclose his chemical weapons program to international agencies. Put simply, this was utterly pathetic. But then, in a striking display of partisanship, Corbyn appeared to blame the attack on the fact that the 2010-2016 Conservative government under David Cameron had cut spending on the U.K.’s Foreign Office, the equivalent of our State Department. Presumably, Russian government assassination teams would have been defeated had there been more Foreign Office breakfast meetings … or something.
Corbyn then complained to the House Speaker that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was mocking him. But the fact is, many Labour members of Parliament were hanging their heads in shame at Corbyn even as he did so.
In response, May blitzed him. She stated that the international consensus was in Britiain’s favor and that the issue was not one of dialogue with Russia but instead of “the culpability of the Russian state” in using nerve agents in a callous fashion on British soil.
May ended on a powerful note, referencing the support for her government’s response across the House of Commons and among U.K. allies. She declared, “I am only sorry the consensus does not go as far as the right honorable gentleman.”
…….
- Discussion
-
Nuked is the right word…. https://t.co/3jYx1WeJJb
— John Schindler (@20committee) March 14, 2018
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.