'What's Left': Political flotsam of the week

Bashar Al-Hussein? Saddam Assad? Oh, one of those Arab chaps . . .

BRITISH Defence Secretary Philip Hammond MP obviously wasn't totally across military intelligence when he was interviewed on BBC TV's Newsnight right after the shock defeat of the British Government's motion on Thursday prepping people for air strikes against Bashar Al-Assad's Syria. 

Many MPs pointed to the disastrous Iraq War that was launched by Tony Blair just based on the 'dodgy dossier' false intelligence on chemical weapons and WMD.

Interrogated by Jeremy Paxman on TV, Hammy said seemingly knowledgeably:

“The fact that the British Parliament has clearly voted that Britain should not take part in any action against Saddam Hussein as a consequence of the use of chemical weapons, doesn't mean the international community will not do so."

And he said Saddam twice.

Hammy should brush up on his Who's Who in the Middle East before he starts issuing kill orders to the RAF and SAS.

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Ourselves Alone in Syracuse

A DEMOCRATIC PARTY city councillor in Syracuse, New York, has been accused by opponents of  “channeling Sinn Féin and the IRA and their slogan” in his determined  political campaign to be elected mayor.

Councillor Pat Hogan is using the slogan “Ourselves Alone” on billboards, posters and his website. The councillor pointed out that “Ourselves Alone” is a common mistranslation of Sinn Féin but he still cannot understand what all the fuss is about.

“Do they think I'm going to have an armed insurrection? I'm not a revolutionary, I'm a city councillor.”

Ah, Pat, you can still be a revolutionary and a city councillor.

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Bucking bronco granny bites Orangemen

A GRANNY has been jailed for seven months for biting Orangemen's legs during a village 'fun day' in Drongan, Scotland.

A drunken Nicola Saunderson (38) shoved children out of the way to get on to a bucking bronco fairground ride. As she barged her way to the front of the queue she got into a row with members of the Young Conquerors Orange Band.

Two Conquerors wrestled Saunderson to the ground and sat on her. It was then that she admitted biting the two Orangemen on the legs.

'Gnasher' also admitted to a number of other offences, including assault, driving without insurance and refusing to provide a breath test.