Friday, November 19, 2004
Neocon-Neolib
Just learn to accept that Bush has won, says Blair
By Philip Webster and Peter Riddell
'I do not feel we have been acting out of blind loyalty or out of compulsion as an ally' - Tony Blair (CHRIS HARRIS)
EUROPEAN leaders must emerge from their “state of denial” and wake up to the fact that they will be dealing with President Bush for the next four years, Tony Blair says today.
In an appeal to America and the countries that opposed the war in Iraq to come together, the Prime Minister tells The Times: “The election has happened. America has spoken. The rest of the world should listen.” He adds: “It is important that America listens to the rest of the world too. But the fact is that President Bush is there for four years. He is there because the American people have chosen to elect him.” Without naming his targets, Mr Blair says:
“Some people are in a sort of state of denial.” He predicts they will soon be in a “more receptive mood”.
Mr Blair spoke to The Times before travelling to Brussels for a European summit, where he expected the first discussions last night to be about the re-election of Mr Bush and an agenda on which they could move forward together. He makes plain that he will take his role as a bridge between the two continents even more seriously than before, saying Britain is “uniquely placed” because of its “immensely strong” alliance with America to mark out the common ground for agreement.
The Middle East peace process, the Iraqi elections, Iran, Afghanistan and even climate change will be the key areas where progress must be made, he says.
And he discloses that in a conversation with Mr Bush last Saturday — three days before the US election — the President left him with the impression that he intended to use the “space and energy” that a second term gave him to develop an agenda of unifying Europe and America.
Mr Blair says that he slept through the twists and turns of the American election on Tuesday. He went to bed at 10.30pm thinking that John Kerry had won, on the basis of the early exit polls, and woke up at 5.30am to find that President Bush had been re-elected.
He dismisses the idea that he or Britain should receive some kind of reward from Mr Bush for backing him in the war against terrorism and Iraq. “I don’t feel we are acting out of compulsion because we are an ally of the United States.” It was true that there were issues such as the Middle East where he wanted the United States to move forward. “But I don’t regard that as a pay-off,” he says.
Mr Blair risks a diplomatic storm after talking of “massive human rights issues” with North Korea. He says it is strange that, although he faces protests on everything outside Downing Street, there are none over North Korea “despite the fact that the people there live in a form of semi- slavery”.
The Prime Minister also speaks of his relief at having made plain his intentions to fight the next election but to leave office before fighting a fourth.
Mr Blair says there was more overlap between the increased focus in President Bush’s speeches during the past year about “bringing democracy or a set of values to the Middle East” and the views of the progressive centre-left. “That is part of the argument we should be able to agree with. Why should we be the people on the progressive left saying it is a terrible thing to bring democracy to these countries? Or when the Americans say we want to extend democracy to these countries, or extend democracy and human rights throughout the Middle East in the Greater Middle East initiative, people say well that is part of the neo-conservative agenda. Actually if you put in different language, it is a progressive agenda.”
Just learn to accept that Bush has won, says Blair
By Philip Webster and Peter Riddell
'I do not feel we have been acting out of blind loyalty or out of compulsion as an ally' - Tony Blair (CHRIS HARRIS)
EUROPEAN leaders must emerge from their “state of denial” and wake up to the fact that they will be dealing with President Bush for the next four years, Tony Blair says today.
In an appeal to America and the countries that opposed the war in Iraq to come together, the Prime Minister tells The Times: “The election has happened. America has spoken. The rest of the world should listen.” He adds: “It is important that America listens to the rest of the world too. But the fact is that President Bush is there for four years. He is there because the American people have chosen to elect him.” Without naming his targets, Mr Blair says:
“Some people are in a sort of state of denial.” He predicts they will soon be in a “more receptive mood”.
Mr Blair spoke to The Times before travelling to Brussels for a European summit, where he expected the first discussions last night to be about the re-election of Mr Bush and an agenda on which they could move forward together. He makes plain that he will take his role as a bridge between the two continents even more seriously than before, saying Britain is “uniquely placed” because of its “immensely strong” alliance with America to mark out the common ground for agreement.
The Middle East peace process, the Iraqi elections, Iran, Afghanistan and even climate change will be the key areas where progress must be made, he says.
And he discloses that in a conversation with Mr Bush last Saturday — three days before the US election — the President left him with the impression that he intended to use the “space and energy” that a second term gave him to develop an agenda of unifying Europe and America.
Mr Blair says that he slept through the twists and turns of the American election on Tuesday. He went to bed at 10.30pm thinking that John Kerry had won, on the basis of the early exit polls, and woke up at 5.30am to find that President Bush had been re-elected.
He dismisses the idea that he or Britain should receive some kind of reward from Mr Bush for backing him in the war against terrorism and Iraq. “I don’t feel we are acting out of compulsion because we are an ally of the United States.” It was true that there were issues such as the Middle East where he wanted the United States to move forward. “But I don’t regard that as a pay-off,” he says.
Mr Blair risks a diplomatic storm after talking of “massive human rights issues” with North Korea. He says it is strange that, although he faces protests on everything outside Downing Street, there are none over North Korea “despite the fact that the people there live in a form of semi- slavery”.
The Prime Minister also speaks of his relief at having made plain his intentions to fight the next election but to leave office before fighting a fourth.
Mr Blair says there was more overlap between the increased focus in President Bush’s speeches during the past year about “bringing democracy or a set of values to the Middle East” and the views of the progressive centre-left. “That is part of the argument we should be able to agree with. Why should we be the people on the progressive left saying it is a terrible thing to bring democracy to these countries? Or when the Americans say we want to extend democracy to these countries, or extend democracy and human rights throughout the Middle East in the Greater Middle East initiative, people say well that is part of the neo-conservative agenda. Actually if you put in different language, it is a progressive agenda.”
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