UK rattles empty Iran attack saber

The British government is desperately struggling to make an impact in the Middle East and let the public know by making hollow gestures to pretend an attack on Iran, where Britain will be a major player, is imminent.

British media reported on Friday that Prime Minister David Cameron is considering deployment of a fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the United Arab Emirates.

However, as a statement by the British Ministry of Defense quickly made clear, the deployment was to demonstrate Britain’s “military commitment to UAE” and “not due to concerns over Iran’s nuclear [energy] program.”

“As we continue to make clear, the Government does not believe military action against Iran is the right course of action at this time, although no option is off the table,” the statement added.

Just one week earlier, media reported that London has rebuffed a request from Washington to use British bases near the Middle East for a possible attack on Iran.

The reports said Britain has denied permission citing senior Whitehall sources as saying London “would be in breach of international law if it facilitated what amounted to a pre-emptive strike on Iran.”

The British Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the talks but not the refusal.

Both statements over the past week were taken to be signals of an imminent attack on Iran.

However, they left observers confused regarding the position of the British government about a strike on Iran.

Last week, a spokesman for the British Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We routinely speak to our counterparts in the United States. We don’t get into details of those discussions, but we have in the past cooperated on the use of [Britain’s] bases.”

Indeed, it was confirmed that nothing specifically new had happened but for threatening Iran with a hackneyed threat: nothing is off the table.

However, the question remains whether London, which is pushing through a multi-billion pound austerity program so crushing that is even threatening its nuclear missiles system, is capable of going to another war.

Afghanistan has so far cost Britain an extra 17.3£ billion to annual defense budgets forcing Chancellor George Osborne to call for a withdrawal “now” last month.

Observers say Britain is currently no more than a toothless fox going to the UAE to rob another Arab nation of its riches.