THE POWDER KEG

Egypt is the fuse that has lit the taper, and we now watch the flame moving along that taper with increasing speed and intensity towards the powder keg to which it leads, and hence an almighty explosion - Bahrain and Libya and let us face it, possibly Saudi Arabia and Iran. The people are no longer frightened of tanks, armies and police even though the price paid is many fatalities and ruthlessly being put down by regimes that now realise that their days are numbered.

Pearl Square is a bloodbath, a totally opposite picture to that prevailing in Tahrir Square for 18 days earlier this month in Egypt. What is happening in the Middle East is surely that sinister build up to a third world war. We know it is coming if we permit certain Middle Eastern states to operate under a code of law that is little more than medieval in composition and which the flimsiest veil of democracy over totalitarian dictatorship.

Middle Europe was the powder keg that set off the Second World War; the Balkans the powder keg for the First World War. For decades we have known that the Middle East is the powder keg for the Third World War.

The greatest diplomacy is required by the World Powers, by the USA, China, Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany - the UN. The greatest diplomatic pressure must be applied to these bully states who have scant or no regard for the rule of law, to listen to the people, move to granting the basic democratic freedoms that their peoples rightly demand, and avert the slide to nuclear war; for let us be in no doubt about it. Israel has a considerable nuclear capability and it would be foolish to think that left with no other options, Israel would not hesitate to consider that option if all else failed.

Let us, therefore, here in the UK, give cross party support to all efforts by the Coalition Government to find a diplomatic resolution. Let us give full support to the Foreign Secretary and to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. For the stakes are high and time is running out when we read, not the tabloid press, but the newspapers reflecting responsible and reasoned journalism.

Ian Bradley Marshall
19 February 2011
LIVERPOOL