I wonder whether the three British soldiers killed today in Basra were the Shi'ite way of starting off Blair's week and helping him down the slope to ruin? For the first really big attack down there for a while, the timing is awfully suspicious.

When do the indictments of Blair by the International Criminal Court arrive at Number 10?

Mary,

I doubt we'll see the ICC invoked. More like, Blair is facing a no-confidence vote before the end of the year. You just gotta know that Gordon Brown has spent the summer consolidating his base within Labour.

I wonder when/if the American media is ever going to catch a clue that the fake case for war is taking down a British government and that this little fact might have some currency on this side of the pond.

It is beginning to look more and more like the invasion of Iraq will be the destruction of two previously popular administrations. Tony Blair had a great image both in Europe and the United States. He and Bill Clinton had been friends, and he and Bush got along well -- perhaps too well. He had wide support throughout Britain -- so wide that many had written off the Conservatives as a viable party. Now Blair's support for the fiasco in Iraq will cost him not only his own comfy residence on Downing Street (my prediction is he'll be gone before Bush will), but he's damaged a strong Labour party.

As for Bush, well, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I am more than mildly curious how many members of Congress will, when the SS Bush goes down next year, suddenly say that they supported the Iraq resolution "with reservations" or some such weasely words?

sgc