Blair: Syria and Iran crucial for Iraq peace
Tony Blair will say that UK foreign policy depends on "strong alliances"
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Monday, 13, Nov 2006 10:00
Prime minister Tony Blair has today called for Syria and Iran to be more involved in efforts to stem growing violence in Iraq and achieve peace in the Middle East.
The prime minister used a key foreign policy speech in London to argue that the two countries, which have been viewed as rogue states by the US, should be engaged in attempts to develop a "whole" strategy for the troubled region and warned of the consequences of failing to do so.
Mr Blair's call comes as president George Bush prepared to meet with a bipartisan panel which is considering what Washington's future strategy should be in Iraq.
Asked by the US news network ABC whether Iran and Syria might be included in discussions about Iraq, White House chief of staff Josh Bolton said all options would be considered by president Bush when he meets the Iraq study group panel today.
The panel, which is believed to favour renewing links with Tehran and Damascus, will also be addressed by Mr Blair by video conference, tomorrow, in anticipation of a shift in US policy towards Iraq, which proved to be a decisive factor in last week's midterm elections, when Mr Bush's Republican party lost control of both houses of Congress to the Democrats.
In his speech to the lord mayor's banquet at London's Guildhall, today, Mr Blair reiterated his belief that resolving the situation in Iraq will require action to tackle other key tensions in the Middle East, such as those involving Palestine and Lebanon.
The prime minister's comments come just a day after four British troops were killed and three badly injured when their patrol boat was hit by an explosive device in southern Iraq, where growing insurgency has been directed at coalition troops in recent months.
"We offer Iran a clear strategic choice. They help the Middle East peace process, not hinder it. They stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq," Mr Blair said.
"They abide by, not flout, their international obligations. In that case, a new partnership is possible. Or alternatively, they face the consequence of not doing so: isolation,"
The prime minister also pointed to the importance of relations with the US and the EU in achieving such a goal, arguing that effective British foreign policy must be built upon "strong alliances".
"Anti-Americanism or Euro-scepticism are not merely foolish, they are the surest route to the destruction of our true national interest," Mr Blair added.
However, the Conservative party has warned that it may be "naïve" to expect Syria and Iran to become involved in efforts to secure peace in Iraq in the short term.
Speaking on BBC1's Politics Show yesterday, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said that while Mr Blair's engagement with the US over the future direction of policy in Iraq was welcome, hopes of involving Syria and Iran in resolving the situation there remained a "difficult proposition".
"Of course it would be excellent if they could be involved at some stage in the future in guaranteeing what happens in Iraq. It may naive to think that that could happen in the coming weeks and months," said Mr Hague.