Britain must strike an independent foreign policy post-Brexit that is significantly tougher on Iran, a leading backbench MP has said.
With the UK no longer shackled by presenting a united European Union front it should establish a hard line on Tehran similar to that adopted by America, said David Jones MP, arguing that Europe’s position was “appeasement to Iran”.
The former Secretary of State for Wales has also called for an international inquiry into a massacre in Iran in which allegedly 30,000 political prisoners, including children, were executed in 1988.
Mr Jones, 68, said despite the ongoing trade negotiations with the EU, Britain should not lose sight of forging its own foreign positions to “exert its significant diplomatic influence on the global stage” to act in the UK’s best interests.
He questioned why Britain was not making its own foreign policy despite Brexit happening earlier this year, particularly with Iran continuing to disrupt the Middle East.
“Why are we standing by while Iran continues to demonstrate an undiminished commitment to malign activities, including aggressive regional destabilisation in the Middle East and the development and testing of ballistic missiles that could one day carry a nuclear warhead?
He accused the EU of failing to stand up for human rights and for not taking a strong position against rogue states. “Nowhere has this been more apparent than in European policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
He questioned the current British government approach to supporting France and Germany in continuing the nuclear deal with Iran despite the country failing to abide by its terms. Mr Jones, a hardline Brexiteer, suggested that Britain should support the American position on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by withdrawing its support for the agreement.
UK complicit in EU appeasement
Britain, along with France and Germany, last week signalled that they would not support Washington in its push to bring “snapback” sanctions against Iran for breaching the JCPOA.
"Despite Iran's repudiation of the deal, the EU has pushed back against the US position on the JCPOA and the UK is unfortunately still standing alongside them," he wrote in The Daily Telegraph.
Even before the nuclear deal, Europe has generally pursued conciliation and arguably outright appeasement
“Sadly, this has been the case for decades where policy on Iran is concerned. Even before the nuclear deal, Europe has generally pursued conciliation and arguably outright appeasement, to the extent of even overlooking vile crimes against humanity in order to avoid undermining relations with the Islamic Republic.”
He accused Europe of “studiously ignoring” the 1988 massacre of Iranians despite being alerted by dissidents at the time.
“Against the background of Western inaction, the death toll rapidly climbed to an estimated 30,000, primarily opposition activists affiliated to the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK). Despite repeated international calls for an independent enquiry into the massacre, no one has been held accountable for the killings to this day.”
But according to a former senior Iranian official, children aged 13 were among those hanged from cranes, six at a time, in a horrific two-month execution of political prisoners on the direct orders of Ayatollah Khomeini following the end of the Iran-Iraq War. Other estimates have put the death toll at 2,800.
Mr Jones called for Britain to formally request an international inquiry into the 1988 bloodbath as it would “undoubtedly encourage other governments to acknowledge how morally imperative, and long overdue, such an action is.”
He added that Britain should join America by reimposing sanctions on Iran.
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Oppenheimer
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Scores in brief:
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New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
