Cameron’s military moment

An extraordinary two months in international affairs took a decisive new twist last night as the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, of all people, read out the vote in favour of military action against Libya.

Who persuaded China to abstain in this strange New World Order? I’m told the voices of oil-rich Saudi Arabia and much-courted Egypt were key.

Who piled the pressure on a divided and sometimes wary US administration? Amongst others the supposed European peacenik France and some Arab states.

Has NATO been effectively sidelined? What is the new threshold for UN-backed military intervention in terms of civilian deaths already suspected or expected? (David Cameron made much of reports that 1000 had been killed by government forces).

David Cameron finds himself conducting military action he would never have dreamt of a few short months ago. He came to office like so many Prime Ministers before him determined to be a domestic PM, and letting it be known that he thought Tony Blair had been too ready to deploy abroad.

Now he must hope that military action can bring a decisive turn of events in Libya and quickly. Partition or long delay won’t do. And if Colonel Gaddafi endures, the poke in the eye to the West would be enormous. The PM must also ensure that what follows Gaddafi is worthy of these efforts.

Many Tories are instinctively uncomfortable about this involvement but not that many managed to get back from their constituencies for this morning’s 11am statement in the Commons. More of them may be present for the debate and vote now happening next week – not that the vote is a great threat.

David Cameron in his statement used much of the language Tony Blair often used before him in similar circumstances of the past, but tried to learn from some of his tough lessons by emphasising that the legal opinion of the Attorney General was read out and discussed in Cabinet and that Cabinet formally agreed to the military action.

As for the Coalition partners, all the Lib Dem Cabinet members spoke out forcefully in favour of the action, I am told.

There were some questions asked of the leadership at the weekly meeting of Lib Dem MPs, but no major revolt is in the offing. Nick Clegg attends most National Security Council meetings, his aides say, and has been consulted closely.
And David Cameron gets his very own Stop the War demo – another rite of passage.