Dog Bites Poodle? Will Tony Blair Become a Scapegoat for Bush and Rummy? (2)

Blair deserves better from his partners in Washington. No foreign leader has been such an important ally to Bush. And the two were unlikely allies. Blair must be reflecting that it might have been better to emphasize the unlikely part more. Blair had been close to Bill Clinton. And his support was critical during the Kosovo War - not least because Blair made a very persuasive, idealistic case that the American public found appealing. Blair seems to have had a vision of expanding international law and practice to combat human rights abuses.

And he was a critical ally to a shell-shocked Bush in the days following the 9/11 attacks. As Ivo Daalder and James Lindsay describe it in America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy (2003):

Blair's five-page memo, which he had sent Bush a day after the attacks, outlined his ideas for undertaking a campaign against terrorism. The prime minister argued that it would be critical to shape world opinion by publicly presenting any evidence linking bin Laden to the attcks. He proposed demanding that the Taliban hand over bin Laden and al Qaeda's leaders, shut down training camps, and allow international monitors to enter Afghanistan or face the consequences. If the Taliban resisted, the Northern Alliance would have to be a crucial part of any military campaign, and Pakistan's support would be necessary. Iran was also crucial, given its long border with and involvement in Afghanistan. It would thus be important for Washington to improve relations with Tehran. Britain, finally, would offer whatever was needed in the way of military support for operations in Afghanistan. Blair's ideas - and his steadfast support for the United States - proved useful and heartening as Bush considered how to respond to the attacks.

None of this excuses Blair for going to war in Iraq based on false claims. It was just as wrong for him as it was for Bush, even though it was primarily Bush's and Rummy's war. But he deserves better from Bush than being kicked in the teeth. It's another example of the incredible arrogance with which Bush and his team treat even the best of their foreign allies and genuine friends and admirers of America.

Tags: iraq war, tony blair