Blair refuses to travel to US to pick up Bush war honour

[Drift3r]

Blair refuses to travel to US to pick up Bush war honour

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair is refusing to fly to the United States to receive a medal bestowed on him by the nation for his support over last year's Iraq war.

US President George W. Bush has put huge pressure on his closest ally to pick up the Congressional Medal of Honor in person, the Sunday Mirror quoted a senior British government source as saying.

Blair is immensely popular with large sections of the American public for his staunch support of the Iraq war and the White House believes a visit by the prime minister now would provide a much-needed boost to Bush's re-election campaign.

"There has been a lot of telephone traffic between the White House and Downing Street over the medal in recent week," the Sunday Mirror quoted a senior government source as saying.

"George Bush wants the prime minister to come to Washington and pick up the medal, which is the highest honour America can bestow on a foreigner.

"But he has refused for more than a year now and for good reason. He cannot possibly accept an award for the Iraq war when British and American troops continue to risk their lives there."

Blair is concerned also that a trip to the United States now would effectively be giving a boost to Bush ahead of November's presidential elections.

"The Democrats are watching the situation very carefully and there would be uproar if Tony travelled to Washington to meet (Republican) Bush so close to the presidential elections," the government source said.

"But Bush isn't letting up. The White House has already let it be known that they feel slighted because of this and believe they can use this to put pressure on Blair to get him out there."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&e=10&u=/afp/20040822/wl_mideast_afp/britain_us_iraq_040822112549

 

[rextilleon]

Why the hell does Blair get a Medal of Honor---I thought that was reserved for heros.

 

[burnedout]

US President George W. Bush has put huge pressure on his closest ally to pick up the Congressional Medal of Honor in person, the Sunday Mirror quoted a senior British government source as saying.

Prime Minister Blair isn't eligible for the CMOH, as far as I know.

 

[dmcowen674]

and why does anyone think Bush would get a push in the polls having Blair come here for a phony Medal??? 😕

 

[Todd33]

Blair deserves an award but Kerry doesn't? What's next, is Bush going to give himself one?

 

[glenn1]

Why the hell does Blair get a Medal of Honor---I thought that was reserved for heros.

He's probably being offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom, not the Medal of Honor. The MOF is the highest award given to civilians, the MOH is exclusively for members of the armed forces.

 

[conjur]

When does Bush get the Medal of Deception?

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: glenn1

Why the hell does Blair get a Medal of Honor---I thought that was reserved for heros.

He's probably being offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom, not the Medal of Honor. The MOF is the highest award given to civilians, the MOH is exclusively for members of the armed forces.

so they are just wrong about that?
so strange they would publish it.
i was under the impression medal of honor was super-rare.
anyone got info on it?

 

[cpumaster]

I believe two soldiers with last name Strykers both received them post-mortem for service & sacrifice in WWII

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: PatboyX

so they are just wrong about that?
so strange they would publish it.
i was under the impression medal of honor was super-rare.
anyone got info on it?

It is really odd they would publish something so completely wrong, but the MOH is exclusively for US military members. There are actually three different Medals of Honor, one each for the Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy (the Marines, and Coast Guard, in wartime, fall under the Navy). I don't think the President has the lawful authority to give the MOH to anyone other than a miliary member.

A total of over 3,400 people have won the MOH. You can read their citations here. MOH winners also have certain special privileges (though the award is often given posthumously) - any military member, regardless of rank, has to salute a MOH winner, and they have some unique privileges with regard to separation and retirement (this is probably service-specific, but I know they do in the AF).

 

[AnImuS]

Originally posted by: conjur
When does Bush get the Medal of Deception?

same time as kerry.

 

[freegeeks]

It is really odd they would publish something so completely wrong, but the MOH is exclusively for US military members. There are actually three different Medals of Honor, one each for the Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy (the Marines, and Coast Guard, in wartime, fall under the Navy). I don't think the President has the lawful authority to give the MOH to anyone other than a miliary member.

A total of over 3,400 people have won the MOH. You can read their citations here. MOH winners also have certain special privileges (though the award is often given posthumously) - any military member, regardless of rank, has to salute a MOH winner, and they have some unique privileges with regard to separation and retirement (this is probably service-specific, but I know they do in the AF).

now I know where Steven Spielberg got his inspiration for Saving Private Ryan. Remember the scene where Tom Hanks and Matt Damon are throwing mortar rounds to the Germans

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, 381st Infantry, 96th Infantry Division. Place and date: Okinawa, 13 April 1945. Entered service at: Soldiers Grove, Wis. Birth: Eagle, Wis. G.O. No.: 63, 27 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. When a powerfully conducted predawn Japanese counterattack struck his unit's flank, he ordered his men to take cover in an old tomb, and then, armed only with a carbine, faced the onslaught alone. After emptying 1 magazine at pointblank range into the screaming attackers, he seized an enemy mortar dud and threw it back among the charging Japs, killing several as it burst. Securing a box of mortar shells, he extracted the safety pins, banged the bases upon a rock to arm them and proceeded alternately to hurl shells and fire his piece among the fanatical foe, finally forcing them to withdraw. Despite the protests of his comrades, and bleeding profusely from a severe shrapnel wound, he made his way to his company commander to report the action. T/Sgt. Anderson's intrepid conduct in the face of overwhelming odds accounted for 25 enemy killed and several machineguns and knee mortars destroyed, thus single-handedly removing a serious threat to the company's flank.

great link DonVito :thumbsup: