Shell-shocked Blair recovers his composure

[Nottingham]

Shell-shocked Blair recovers his composure
By Donald Macintyre in Seoul
21 July 2003


Maybe it was the praise lavished on him by the South Korean President. Maybe it was the Korean journalist who said it was a privilege to be able to ask him a question. But it swiftly became clear yesterday that Tony Blair had managed to recover his composure after what must have been his most nightmarish press conference to date.

Twenty four hours earlier, in the Japanese hill resort of Hakone, the Prime Minister had tentatively taken centre stage, looking more nervous than any journalist present could remember as he faced his first press questions since the death of the government scientist David Kelly. Mr Blair appeared awkwardly stiff and dark suited, but yesterday in South Korea he seemed to be returning to normality.

It could have been the obligatory cups of green tea, his visit to a Shinto shrine or the result of a good night's sleep on traditional tatami straw matting that had lifted his spirits. But a more cynical and plausible explanation is that Mr Blair knew early in the morning that the BBC would soon make its statement. One that, after a calamitous series of reverses, would give the Blair camp the first point it saw itself as scoring in the subtle and not-so-subtle blame game (Peter Mandelson's Sunday newspaper article, forinstance) that the Government continues to play.

He survived a protest by three Korean peace demonstrators wielding a hastily constructed "Who Killed David Kelly" banner outside Seoul's Myongdong Roman Catholic Cathedral where Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, made an unannounced visit to attend mass.

more.....
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=426235


According to Witnesses Tony Blair was shook up! and rather Dazed about everything! :bounce:

Interesting perspective!

[acmavm]

1. And by composure do we mean the ability to lie calmly with a

straight face and no conscience?

[Cha]

4. BINGO!!

I'm so sick of the enabler blair.

[ant]

2. I feel bad for him

I don't know, he's just never struck me as a "bad guy," and even now I'm willing to believe (hoping?) he got caught up in something bad despite his good intentions. Maybe it's that boyish look he's got, but I always get this sincere feeling from him, like he means well and really does believe he's doing the right thing but....I don't know. The road to hell and all that.

It doesn't make any sense, I'm aware of that, but I just feel sorry for him right now.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

3. I dunno...he looks composed to me...photo

[Cha]

5. Very!