Blair has already revealed that the B
US has asked for British troops to be made available for the war.
But at the same time as he sermonises to the firefighters 'no extra cash', he is also pleading with Bush to be allowed a greater input into their joint military escapade.
So far Bush has asked for Special Forces, Royal Marine commandos and mid-air refuelling aircraft. Blair has said he wants to contribute much more including, 20,000 ground troops, a battle group led by the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, submarines with Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Tornado
.... War is terribly profitable bombers.
No doubt, his enthusiasm to participate fully is linked to warnings by the chief executive of BP, Lord Browne, that Washington should not carve up Iraq exclusively for its own oil companies in the war's aftermath. ....
As Browne delicately put it, 'we have let it be known that the thing we would like to make sure, if Iraq changes regime, is that there should be a level playing field for the selection of oil companies to go in there.
There are strong links between Downing Street and BP. A number of BP executives have been seconded into Whitehall and Blair's close personal assistant, Anji Hunter, now works for Browne.
The hypocrisy and cynicism of the warmongers and their corporate allies is breathtaking. It is these same oil companies that cloak themselves in environmentally friendly garb while continuing to use ageing, single-hulled rust buckets to move oil in order to save a few bob