==By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 21, 2007; Page A12
The Bush administration is laying the groundwork for an announcement of Tony Blair's appointment as a special Middle East envoy for Palestinian governance and economic issues after he steps down as Britain's prime minister, following two months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, according to U.S. officials.
Blair would report to the Quartet overseeing Middle East peace efforts -- the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia -- and focus on issues limited to the internal workings of a future Palestinian state. Political negotiations involving Palestinians, Israelis and the Arab states would be left to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the officials said.
The idea, first proposed by Rice, was embraced by the Israeli government during talks between President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this week.==
==The Palestinians have yet to be approached on the possibility, but U.S. officials believe they would welcome a Blair appointment. Among Palestinians, Blair is known to have a good working relationship with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas, but he is considered strongly pro-Israel and is closely associated with the Bush administration's Middle East policies, according to Palestinian analysts.==
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062001578.html?hpid=topnewsEven the Onion couldn't have come up with a more surreal story. As if Blair has not done enough damage in the Middle East. :puke: