'Unethical Poodle' Indeed:
DON'T BOW TO US ON ARMS
The Government's decision to sneakily sell vital F16 fighter-jet parts to Israel via America is a total disgrace.
But its justification for doing it is even more shameful.
According to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, we have to do it, or the Americans might not be very happy with us.
Has it come to this?
Are we really prepared to arm Israel in the knowledge those planes will target Palestinians at a time of desperate world crisis in that region?
It doesn't matter whose side you are on in this appalling conflict, arming one or the other right now should simply not be an option for a country with our supposed "ethical" foreign policy.
We'll hear all the usual hoary arguments about how vital the arms trade is to our economy and how many jobs depend on it.
They are the same ones used to explain why we're arming both India and Pakistan as nuclear war threatens over Kashmir.
And woe betide anyone who dares to criticise Tony Blair as he sucks up to President Bush in this dreadful manner.
He's from the same"you're either with us or against us" school as Mr Bush on the war on terror.
Well, the Daily Mirror is not with you on this issue, Mr Blair. We think helping the Americans arm the Israelis at this time is outrageous and immoral.
We're not just a poodle to the President now. We're an unethical poodle.