British newspapers are reporting today Sunday that Tony Blair is facing the most serious open Cabinet revolt since the Iraq war. According to
The Guardian Observer, Blair was facing
...a full-scale cabinet rebellion last night over the Middle East crisis after his former Foreign Secretary [Jack Straw] warned that Israel's actions risked destabilising all of Lebanon.
(more after the fold)
Straw, now Leader of the Commons, had earlier said in a statement released last night that
...while he grieved for the innocent Israelis killed, he also mourned the '10 times as many innocent Lebanese men, women and children killed by Israeli fire'.
Straw also said that he agreed with the Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells that
...it was 'very difficult to understand the kind of military tactics used by Israel', adding: 'These are not surgical strikes but have instead caused death and misery amongst innocent civilians.' Straw said he was worried that 'a continuation of such tactics by Israel could destabilise the already fragile Lebanese nation'.
Before Blair left for Washington to meet with Bush on Friday,
...minister after minister pressed him to break with the Americans and publicly criticise Israel over the scale of death and destruction.
According to the paper, Blair understood the serious situation he is facing at home but still decided to side with Bush in not criticizing Israel, placing the full blame on Hizbollah and not insisting on an inmediate cease-fire.