U.K. Submarine Strike Accord Restored

Regular M.E. readers may recall my posting concerning Lord Goldsmith QC (Queen’s Counsel) appointed Her Majesty’s Attorney General in June 2001. In recent history, hot, high-value Islamo-terrorism targets have escaped due only to a wimpy U.S. lawyer’s hypothetical concerns.

For the first time in published history, the then UK Attorney General, a friend of Tony Blair's embarked in an unidentified submarine. The attorney general revealed how he was taken on a submarine to make clear the need for him to give speedy legal advice in times of war. Lord Goldsmith told peers he had to be on call constantly during conflicts to advise on legality of military action. He said that soon after assuming his duties he went into a submarine to see first-hand where decisions were made. Once a periscope was raised there was only a 20-minute window to get advice before launching an attack, he said.

If Britain’s Attorney General understood the need for quick, legal permissions to attack, the US could support the attack (versus lead) based upon proper British legal clearance. Sorry, U.S. Senate (56% lawyers)! Lord Goldsmith, gave insight into his role when testifying to the Lords constitution committee in reference to war powers. He said there were general rules of engagement for troops in conflicts but international humanitarian law also meant legal advice was needed on attacking specific targets

In the past, short-notice submarine involvements in land attacks have been hampered by scarce communications opportunities (submarines are loath to sit on the surface or at periscope depth all day awaiting critical message traffic). As reported by the Washington Post, Sunday, November 18, 2001 - As many as 10 times over the last six weeks, the Air Force believed it had top Taliban and al Qaeda members in its cross hairs in Afghanistan, but was unable to receive clearance to fire in time to hit them, according to senior Air Force officials. Britain and the US have solved this problem with submarine broadband satellite communications on a real-time basis. What a concept!

Now that Blair has resigned, so has Lord Goldsmith. Mr Brown said: "His contribution to the country and this government has been immense.."

Where does this leave the handy, secretive bilateral submarine target and attack accord? Home Officie minister Baroness Scotland is the frontrunner among those tipped to succeed Lord Goldsmith. Okay, just who is Baroness Scotland? Hold on to your dixie cups!

Baroness Scotland is a barrister and the current Attorney General for England and Wales, a ministerial position in British Government. Born in Dominica to Antiguan and Dominican parents, her family migrated to Walthamstow when she was three, where she attended Walthamstow High School for Girls. She earned her law degree in 1976 at the University of London. In 1991 she became the first black woman to be made a Queen's Counsel. Tony Blair thought highly enough of Scotland to consider appointing her Leader of the House of Lords [1].

Her view: "We have to go forward. We have just got to draw a line in the sand."

Does anyone still not understand where the sand is? We can fully expect a necessary strike to swiftly circumvent the American lawyer establishment (lead by our Congress). This global war on terrorism will be won with or without left-leaning, elitists.

Osama bin Mama adherents had better watch out!