26_September [Archives:2003/657/Press Review]
31 July 2003
Main headlines:
– Sana'a hosts the 8th Arab conference for mineral wealth in October
– Person convicted of blowing oil pipeline is given 5 years imprisonment and 12 thousand dollars fine
– Meeting next week with donors to implement the strategy of alleviating poverty
– Yemeni-European committee to meet in Sana'a in October
– Six elements from Huttat group arrested
Columnist Khairalla Khairalla wrote in his article that following the rapid military victory the Americans and the British have achieved in Iraq, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair expected for himself a flowery political future. But expectations began to recede because of the reality in Iraq embodied by incapability of the American administration and it the British government of overcoming the existing difficulties. These difficulties are essentially attributed to Saddam Hussein as throughout his rule he had behaved in a way leading to a result that there would be Iraq after his departure from power. He would leave a dismantled country no authority could be in a position to control. Till before the 18th of last July Blair was able to tackle the problems resulting from his country's participation with American in administrating the Iraqis affairs. On the 18th of July the corpse of the British Dr David Kelly, advisor at the defence office wad discovered.
It seems that the curse of Iraq has affected Blair who waging on the military victory to stay in power for a longer period. After the death of Kelly many things changed in Britain. It is for sure that the political future of Tony Blair has become threatened, at least inside the Labour Party itself. The question is whether Tony Blair would be forced to tender his resignation or would he suffice himself to offer the defence secretary as a scapegoat.
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