[War] United Kingdom: "With Friends Like These"

[Michael Downey]

"With Friends Like These"
Prime Minister Owen Eckley
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
18 September 2006
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"I am not amused," said Eckley. That was an understatement. The PM was
actually quite furious, but such displays of anger did little to
improve any situation. Given that Downing Street had just been made to
loose face over Iran when their diplomatic proposals had been shot
down by the Americans and the EU, his anger was understandable.

Both the US State Department and the 'EU Three,' France, Germany and
Britain, had all backed the idea of giving Iran WTO membership and at
the very list enriched uranium in exchange for the Middle Eastern
nation's cooperation with the IAEA. But when Britain had suggested
that they actually go through with the idea, both parties had
essentially slapped the British in the face and acted like they were
madmen for suggesting such a thing.

The White House Eckley could forgive, to an extent. The Williams
administration had not actually been supportive of the idea, that was
Bush. However Eckley's opinion of his ally had cooled a great deal.
After all Britain had done in regards to the fiasco Iraq was becoming,
their initiative to make PEACE instead of war should have gotten at
least consideration from the State Department instead of a blunt
refusal.

As for Germany and France, he was just about ready to throw a fit.
Britain was not the only one of the EU-3 to come up with this idea,
not by a long shot, and their turning their backs on the UK the moment
they proposed that an idea all three had supported from the beginning
was pure and utterly hypocrisy.

"And now that prick Chirac is going on how sanctions and threats
against Iran won't work, and we should be more receptive towards
them," spat Ruth, Eckley's sister and fellow MP. Though possessing an
acute political mind, she was not as close guarded in regards to her
opinions as her elder brother was, and had something of a temper.
Especially if she felt she, the party or the nation had been slighted.

Secretary Hollstadt maintained a much calmer composure, though the PM
could still see resentment lurking in the diplomat's eyes. Hollstadt
was very Eurocentric in his thinking and that the French and Germans
had so openly and brazenly betrayed and humiliated his department was
a bitter pill to swallow.

"It's not just what they've done to us, it's what they've done to our
chances of reaching a compromise with Iran. For absolutely know reason
at all, France and Germany have gone back on us and broken the sense
of a united front in dealing with the Iranians. Now Iran will sense
weakness between the EU-3 and the US."

Eckley grounded his teeth. He was tempted to simply wash his hands of
Iran and let the other three major players deal with it on their own.
But doing that would not make the situation any better, and likely
cause Britian to take another black eye.

"For now we're staying quiet over Iran," said Eckley. "Clive, I want
you to call the Secretary of State. Express to your American
counterpart that after all the support we've given them over Iraq and
the hit we took for the FOC, I'm more than a little bit disappointed
that they couldn't be bothered to support us. And make sure Williams
understands that after this, I'm going to find it a lot harder to find
more political capital to give him backing over his Iraqi quagmire.

"As for the French and the Germans, I'm going to personally call
Chirac and Merkel and have a very long talk to them about a little
term called loyalty."
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Sources:
1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5341654.stm
2) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5357532.stm

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Actions:
1) Let the other EU-3 know: You sold us out and made us loose face on
the world stage. We are not amused.
2) Downing Street is likewise less than pleased that we received zero
support from Washington, especially after all the support we gave them
over Iraq and the FOCs. Let the Oval Office know this makes it harder
for Britain to politically back the US over Iraq.