A coalition of British charities, faith groups and unions has warned Tony Blair that any military action against Iran would have "unthinkable" consequences. The organizations are urging the prime minister to put pressure on the US to enter talks with Tehran.
Former Labour minister Stephen Twigg, director of the Foreign Policy Centre, said: "The consequences of military action against Iran are not only unpalatable; they are unthinkable. "Even according to the worst estimates, Iran is still years away from having a nuclear weapon.
The charity Oxfam, unions Unison, GMB and Amicus, have been joined by the Muslim Parliament and Christian Solidarity Worldwide in signing the report.
They warn that a strike against Iran would continue to destabilize the region and provoke further attacks against British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Military action is not likely to be a short, sharp engagement but could have a profound effect on the region, with shock waves felt far beyond," the report says.
Sir Richard Dalton, the British ambassador to Iran until last year, backed the calls for increased diplomacy. "Recourse to military action - other than in legitimate self-defense - is not only unlikely to work but would be a disaster for Iran, the region and quite possibly the world," he said.
[BBC]
No comments:
Post a Comment