Britain is, of course, a famously progressive country. We still have a Parliamentary system that allows members of the Aristocracy directly to influence legislation because a distant ancestor was prepared to do something for a King that his wife could not contemplate. The system has been "modernised" by allowing the political parties to nominate so-called "Life Peers". The nominees are given the title "Lord" or "Lady" but are not able to pass the title on to their children.That may all sound weird, but not half as weird as what is to come.
One of the Labour Party's working peers is Lord Nazir Ahmed. He has close connections with Pakistan and has recently been visiting. According to a report in the Express Tribune he has been upset by the US offering a bounty on Hafiz Saeed.
Saeed is Head of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). LeT is alleged to have been behind the Mumbai massacre, and to have links with both Al-Qaeda and the ISI (the troubled Pakistani intelligence service). Whether you think there is anything in those allegations likely depends on the sources you prefer.
Here's more from Lord Nazir:
Lord Nazir said that the bounty [the US] placed on Saeed was an insult to all Muslims and by doing so President Obama has challenged the dignity of the Muslim Ummah.The Labour Party, perhaps understandably, has proven less than delighted at the thought that one of its most prominent members is putting a price on US Presidential heads. The BBC is now reporting that Lord Nazir has been suspended.
"If the US can announce a reward of $10 million for the captor of Hafiz Saeed, I can announce a bounty of 10 million pounds on President Obama and his predecessor George Bush,” Lord Nazir said, adding that he would arrange the bounty at any cost even if he was left with the option of selling all his personal assets, including his house."
Lord Nazir denies offering the bounty. He says he merely wants to see George W. Bush and his own former party leader, Tony Blair, on trial for war crimes:
Asked about the reported comments, he said: ... "I did not offer a bounty. I said that there have been war crimes committed in Iraq and Afghanistan and those people who have got strong allegations against them - George W Bush and Tony Blair have been involved in illegal wars and should be brought to justice."Perhaps.
