NYT/Reuters: Blair has Failed to Influence U.S.: Report

[DeepModem Mom]

Blair has Failed to Influence U.S.: Report
By REUTERS
Published: December 19, 2006

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tony Blair's foreign policy has failed because of his inability to influence Washington and his successor must carve out a leading role for Britain within Europe instead, a report said on Tuesday.

The Chatham House think-tank said in a wide-ranging analysis of Blair's foreign policy that he was the first to recognize how the United States would react to the September 11 attacks, but made a huge mistake in backing its war on Iraq.

The influential London-based institute said the prime minister had erred in failing to coordinate a European response that might have tempered Washington's actions.

Chatham House concluded that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was a "terrible mistake'' leading to a "debacle'' that will have repercussions on policy for years.

"The root failure (of Blair's foreign policy) has been the inability to influence the Bush administration in any significant way despite the sacrifice -- military, political and financial -- that the United Kingdom has made,'' the report said....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-britain-blair.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Quaint word

"debacle" but sums the situation up quite well.

Here's the Beeb link : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6190909.stm

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Thanks, edwardlindy! nt

[Eugene]

3. Nobody tempers George W. Bush.

Junior was hell bent on avenging his Dad. BushCo would have invaded
Iraq even the U.S. had to go it alone.

The report's other conclusions are quite damning. Blair didn't just
make mistakes, he showed an acute lack of vision.

[mc jazz]

4. he also didn't remember his history

"Aside from striking a decisive propaganda blow for the Allies, the fall of Baghdad effectively brought to an end Turkish activity in the region. The defeat of the Turks in World War I meant the end of the Ottoman Empire. It did not mean the end of imperialism. The winners divided the loot among them, with the new League of Nations giving Britain a mandate to run Iraq, as well as Trans-Jordan, Palestine and Egypt. Arab nationalists, who had hoped for independence in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and elsewhere, were bitterly disappointed.

But all was not well for the British after the fall of Baghdad. Captain Arnold Wilson, the civil commissioner in newly captured Baghdad, believed that the creation of the new state was a recipe for disaster. He warned that the deep differences between the three main communities – Sunni, Shia and Kurds – ensured it could only be "the antithesis of democratic government."

Arab nationalists wanted independence and tribesmen were resentful that the British were more effective than the Turks in collecting taxes. A rebellion against British rule broke out in July 1920. By the time British rule was restored in 1921, some 2,000 British soldiers and 8,000 natives had been killed or wounded.

Britannia ruled brutally. Arthur "Bomber" Harris (who was to lead the bomber offensive against Germany in World War II) did not try to hide the fact that he had aimed at civilian targets. Harris admitted in 1924 that he had taught Iraqis "that within 45 minutes a full-sized village can be practically wiped out and a third of its inhabitants killed or wounded." Winston Churchill, as British colonial secretary, agreed that aerial explosives were indeed a good idea. But wouldn't aerial gassing be even better? As he put it, "I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favor of using poison gas against uncivilized tribes."

[Eugene]

5. Reuters: Blair defends close ties to U.S

Blair defends close ties to U.S

By Katherine Baldwin and Sophie Walker

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tony Blair defended his nation's
close alliance with the United States on Tuesday and dismissed charges
that the relationship has damaged Britain's credibility in the Middle East.

-snip-

Blair said leaders in the region listened to him precisely because Britain
had such close ties to U.S. President George W. Bush, the direct opposite
of the contention made in the report by think-tank Chatham House.

The prime minister said there would be no progress on Israeli-Palestinian
peace, or on any other major foreign policy issue from Iraq to climate
change, without Washington.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1886132006

But Tony, Dubya hasn't yielded an inch on any of these issues.
Any progress has been in reverse.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Yo! Blair! Are you off your meds again?

How can be possibly believe the crap he's spouting? "Poodle", "lap-dog", "underling", "doormat" - that's what everyone thinks of your 'special relationship' with Bush. You're a laughing stock. You have the international standing of Karen Hughes - and the same independence.