Parliament Backs Thatcher on Gulf
- Share via
LONDON — Britain’s Parliament on Friday strongly backed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s dispatch of forces to the Persian Gulf and her refusal to rule out military action against Iraq.
At the end of a two-day emergency debate, the House of Commons supported government policy by a vote of 437 to 35, far higher than the 100-seat majority Thatcher’s Conservatives normally command in the 650-member chamber.
Britain was the first country to commit forces to back the U.S. military buildup in the gulf after Iraq’s Aug. 2 seizure of Kuwait.
Britain has sent three squadrons of fighter-bomber aircraft, a destroyer and two frigates to the area. A second destroyer and three minesweepers are also on their way. Officials said a further commitment would almost certainly be ground troops.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
John Orr was a renowned fire investigator who was also a prolific arsonist, and whose thinly veiled novel helped to convict him. In this episode we hear from the fire captain who first suspected him—and from Orr himself.
Madison McGhee is joined by legendary Dateline host Josh Mankiewicz and esteemed L.A. Times Reporter Richard Winton as the three of them dive into all-things Menendez Brothers, the good, the bad, and the still unknown.
NPR climate editor Sadie Babits talks about why the media has long overlooked the climate crisis, and how that’s starting to change.
