Posted on 08/01/2006 4:34:18 PM PDT by Momaw Nadon
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Syria and Iran on Tuesday that they risked a confrontation if they continued to support terrorism and export instability to Iraq and elsewhere.
In a speech urging a rethink of the West's strategy to defeat extremism in the Middle East, Blair accused Iran and Syria of helping extreme factions in Iraq and backing militant groups in Lebanon and Palestine.
Blair said the international community should tell Syria and Iran that they should either play by the same rules as the rest of the world "or be confronted."
"Their support of terrorism, their deliberate export of instability, their desire to see wrecked the democratic prospect in Iraq, is utterly unjustifiable, dangerous and wrong.
"If they keep raising the stakes, they will find they have miscalculated," Blair said in a speech to the World Affairs Council, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles.
Blair, who has been heavily criticized at home for siding with the United States over the war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, was asked after his speech whether NATO should take the lead in providing a multinational force in Lebanon.
Blair said it was too early to be clear what was most helpful for the situation, adding that whatever force was deployed should be capable of ensuring that the Lebanese people "vote in a democracy without outside interference from Syria or anyone else and without inside interference from armed militias."
BATTLE OF VALUES
Blair said the West must win the battle of democratic values if it is to defeat global extremism. It also needed to work relentlessly "week in, week out" to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Unless we reappraise our strategy, unless we revitalize the broader global agenda on poverty, climate change, trade, and ... bend every sinew of our will to making peace between Israel and Palestine, we will not win," he said.
"And this is a battle we must win."
Blair said the war in the Middle East was in part a fight between "reactionary Islam and moderate mainstream Islam" and that Western intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan had turned into "existential battles for reactionary Islam."
"We posed a threat not to their activities simply: but to their values, to the roots of their existence."
His speech came as three British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and one was killed in Basra in southern Iraq.
Blair said Al Qaeda, Syria and Iran felt threatened by the prospect of Afghanistan and Iraq becoming "tolerant democracies."
"So in Iraq, Syria allowed al Qaeda operatives to cross the border. Iran has supported extremist Shia there. The purpose of the terrorism in Iraq is absolutely simple: carnage, causing sectarian hatred, leading to civil war," he said.
Hizbollah was armed by Iran, which was also financing militant elements in Palestinian group Hamas, he said.
Syria supported Hizbollah and housed hard-line leaders of Hamas, he said.
Blair was wrapping up a five-day visit to the United States during which he held talks with President George W. Bush in Washington over the Middle East crisis.
(Additional reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles)
Blair is alright. But like a typical leftist he somehow thinks global warming is a problem. Snap out of it Tony.
He's spot on about Syria and Iran; they're the major cause of continued strife in Iraq. They are to Iraq what the Soviet Union was to communism in Central America. When the Soviet Union went away, communism disappeared. Stomp out Assad in Syria and there will be a real chance for peace in Israel and Iraq. Leave Assad in power where he can continue to funnel arms, terrorists, and funding to the terrorists, and the problem will never go away. Under Assad, Syria is a state-sponsore of terrorism.
More talk will not affect Syria and Iran at all. They've heard it all from us - warnings, then stern warnings, then really stern warnings. They need to be made to believe we mean it. No more warnings. Action.
Let's get the fight on, Tony. You know what it's all about and where the wolves' den is located.
The offensive against the HEzzies WAS the opening act of a greater war. Israel has had this planned for a few months now. First take care of the Northern front and then the war will move to the next stage.
A major war is underway and most people don't even realize it.
MOABS speak louder than words.
The global warming pandering is trivial compared the WOT. It's sad Bush is such inarticulate stumblebum. Blair can spontaneously and effectively articulate the West's goals and purpose in conducting the WOT. His support of Israel is a huge help as demonstrated below.
Blair said it was too early to be clear what was most helpful for the situation, adding that whatever force was deployed should be capable of ensuring that the Lebanese people "vote in a democracy without outside interference from Syria or anyone else and without inside interference from armed militias."
This is identical with the US and Israel goals.
Great stuff, or as President Bush would say, great stategery, yo Blair! :-)
.....agreed.....Blair is so much more effective in spontaneous intellectual discourse the Sir Bush.....not knocking the Pres....just not his strong point....it is sometimes grating to hear him speak....listening to Tony is a pleasure.....
Yea, no more talk, just do it. If the United States wants to win the war on terrorism, Syria must be turned. Syria must be stopped from being the conduit of supply for Hezbollah and other terrorists in the region. We will be no closer to peace until Syria is stopped and Iran is completely isolated.
Its not going to be easy because the United States does not seem to have the will to win right now. It took the shock of Pearl Harbor to get us into WW2. We have endured our Pearl Harbor, but the nation has fallen back asleep. We are too worried about being politically correct and don't want to offend. How many times will they hit us in Iraq before we decide to go for victory? No wrath was held back from Japan and Germany in WW2 because we knew we were in a fight for our lives.
Well, somebody has to clean up after Jiminy Carter.
Yes. Bring it. Thanks Tony!
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Nothing but war and violence are going to solve the problem.
I disagree. Bush's speeches, including the one at Whitehall England in 2004 were some of the most articulate, clarifying words ever spoken by a world leader. And though he often fumbles in press conferences, he has his moments of clarity and the resolve is unmistakable. Blair can yap for hours just to say what Bush does in two sentences.
Damascus is where this is heading sooner - then later.
I agree that Bush can give a compelling prepared speech. But his off the cuff remarks leave me cringing. His Gary Cooper schtick rings hollow for many. We need more than 40% support of the country to win the WOT.
BTW excepting immigration and spendthrift spending, I think Bush is a very good president. Unfortunately, he aint no Churchill.
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