Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad

tygerland Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 01:34:46 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Is Blair looking to spread the 'Libya Model'?



Diplomacy is not dead, regardless of what Dick `Geppetto' Cheney and his presidential marionette would have you think.  Libya was famously brought back into the international fold, and Tony Blair is hoping a similar trick can be performed with Assad's Syria.

This week Blair despatched his key foreign policy aide, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, to Damascus to try and turn Syria's head (source: FT).

We'll need Syria's help if we are to have any chance of extricating ourselves from Iraq.  And, believe it or not, Assad's secular Baathist regime is infinitely more palatable than allowing `democracy' to install another religious leadership in the region.

Maybe Syria could be the next state to get "out of the terrorism business"?


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Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad | 9 comments (9 topical)

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#1)

by swatantra on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 02:16:57 PM GMT

I've always said that a regional solution is the only answer. Baker agreed, Syria and Iran need to be in the equation.


Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#2)

by Glass House on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 04:10:11 PM GMT

I wish people would remember this kind of behind the scenes, sensible effort when they start barking on about Blair as "Bliar" and blaming him for the ills of the world.

The man's doing his best in a pretty shitty world.


Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#3)

by tygerland on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 06:08:11 PM GMT

Well Said.

I want Blair to be accountable for Iraq, but credit where credit is due.


[ Parent ]

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#4)

by swatantra on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 06:14:30 PM GMT

Having said that, after Blair had tried everything else and failed, what else could he do but go knocking on the door of the Syrians. Don't give Tony too much credit.


[ Parent ]

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#5)

by bornin84 on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 09:21:19 PM GMT

Hasn't Blair has been engaging with Syria for years?


[ Parent ]

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#6)

by Loz on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 11:46:29 PM GMT

I believe it was the case that the libyans were shitting themselves over iraq and made approaches to the west to remove their capabilities that we didn't even know about.

And as for the syrian regime, they are a despicable regime much loved by george galloway and co.

In any case, they don't present a wmd threat, and their terrorist activity is limited to hezbollah which israel can take care of.


Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#8)

by swatantra on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 03:37:09 PM GMT

The last skirmish in the Lebanon showed that Israel in fact could not take care of the Hezbollah. The Israelis will have to come to terms with the changing situation in the Middle East; the tide is definitely shifting at long last towards the Palestinian cause. The days when Israel could just walk in and walk out and finish off the Arab forces in 6 days are over. Either Israel comes to terms over a properly constituted Palestinian State and the sharing Jerusalem, or it is consigning itself to slow and painful extinction
I think Libya came in out of the cold for purely economic reasons; after years of being ostracized because of the Lockerbie issue and support for the IRA, Gadaffi finally realised that there were benefits in him negotiating.
The Syrians are powerful players and Baathists and are key to stability in the region; when they were forced out of the Lebanon conflict immediately flared up.


[ Parent ]

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#9)

by Loz on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 10:23:34 PM GMT

'The last skirmish in the Lebanon showed that Israel in fact could not take care of the Hezbollah.'

Clearly they did. The UN is in the south and the rocket attacks have stopped.

Thats all israel wanted.

'Either Israel comes to terms over a properly constituted Palestinian State and the sharing Jerusalem, or it is consigning itself to slow and painful extinction'

No deal, jerusalum stays in israeli hands. Israel will NOT die out. The only slow and painful extinction will be dreams of a palestinian state should they continue to elect terrorist government and target innocent civilians.


[ Parent ]

Re: Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad (#7)

by Glass House on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 02:23:57 PM GMT

No doubt the usual baying, "Bliar" crowd will be around soon to decry Blair for "cosying up to dictators" without a hint that they understand the irony of their argument.


Blair's hush-hush overtures to Assad | 9 comments (9 topical)