Blair and Bush: We must win in Iraq
Tony Blair has described Iraq as a “noble mission” and warned it was “important for the world” that Britain and the US succeeded in creating a democracy there.
The prime minister was speaking in a press conference with US president George Bush, where both men admitted the situation in Iraq was “tough” and “daunting” but were confident they could win.
However, Mr Bush told reporters in Washington that yesterday’s Iraq Study Group report would signal a “new approach” in the region, and Mr Blair said it offered a “strong way forward” on how democracy could defeat extremism.
Both leaders accepted the report’s view that a wider strategy in the Middle East was needed to succeed in Iraq, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also that engagement was needed with Iraqi’s neighbours, Iran and Syria.
The press conference followed talks between Mr Bush and Mr Blair at the White House, where the Iraq Study Group report, a bipartisan committee’s view of where Iraq policy should go from now, was top of the agenda.
Published yesterday, the long-awaited study called for US troops to switch from a combat role to that of trainers of Iraqi forces by early 2008. It warned greater efforts must be made to achieve Middle East peace and to engage with regional powers.
Today Mr Bush said the report’s recommendations were worthy of “serious study” , noting: “I believe we need a new approach. . . that’s why Prime Minister Blair is here to talk about the way forward.”
One of the most controversial points is the engagement with Iran and Syria, but Mr Blair insisted it was not a question of “being unwilling to sit down with people or not, but the basis on which we discuss Iraq”.
He said the two countries must support the democratically-elected government led by prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, and not support sectarianism or terrorism.
Mr Bush added that the US had been clear it was happy to engage with the Iranians – as long as the country gave up its nuclear ambitions. “If they agree to suspend their enrichment, the US will be at the table with our partners,” he said.
Both men also stressed the need for a new push on Middle East diplomacy, particularly on achieving the two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians – something Mr Blair has been arguing for some time, and hopes to help advance during a coming visit to the region.
Mr Bush acknowledged: “We have a responsibility to lead and to support moderates and reformers who work for change across the broader Middle East. We also recognise that meeting this responsibility requires action – we’ll make a concerted effort to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East.”
Mr Blair has lost a lot of political capital in his support for the US in Iraq, and there have been increasing calls for Britain to distance its policy from that of Washington. However, both Mr Blair and Mr Bush put on a strong sign of unity today.
“Britain and America are old allies and the prime minister and I are strong friends,” Mr Bush said. “But Britain and America aren’t standing together in this war for friendship.
“We are standing together because our two nations face an unprecedented threat to civilisation, we are standing together to prevent terrorism and extremism from dominating the Middle East.”
