BLAIR ON BUSH: 'We would have been close even if 9/11 hadn't happened'

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | April 23, 2006 | Con Coughlin

[MadIvan]

With you at the first, with you to the last.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[MJY1288]

Great Read... Thanks for posting it!

Mike

[Darkwolf377]

'I never had a moment's doubt about this. Because 9/11 for me was, 'Right, now I get it. I absolutely get it.' This has been building for a long time. It is like looking at a picture and knowing it was important to understand it, but not quite being able to make out all its contours. And suddenly a light was switched on and you saw the whole picture. It was a defining moment. We stood shoulder to shoulder with America because my belief then, and my belief now, is that America was attacked not because it was America - but because it was the repository of the values of the Western world, and it was the main power embodying them. It was an attack on all of us. And I don't mean that in a sentimental way."

I've never been the greatest Blair fan, but in this quote he shows why he is so valuable an ally: He GETS it.

[beyond the sea]

Tony Blair is a GOOD MAN.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Blair may in many ways be a typical Labour PM, but when it comes to the WOT he has been Bush's very eloquent stand-in overseas. Thank God for leaders like him, John Howard in Australia, the Japanese PM, and Berlusconi while he lasted. And now we have Merkel in Germany and Stephen Harper in Canada. Whatever happens, Bush will have been in good company.

[Finalapproach29er]

We must hang together, or surely we'll all hang separately.

Blair gets it, thankfully.

[Graymatter]

Nice fellow, but when he says "I just go with my instinct," it's like I've taken a bite of an apple and I'm seeing a half worm among the bite marks.

[EmilyGeiger]

Good post. THanks.

[mass55th]

Excellent article on Tony Blair and President Bush. Thanks for posting it Ivan. Don't think I mentioned it before now, but my life-long desire of visiting the U.K. will come to fruition when I arrive in London next Saturday. My oldest son is accompanying me on the first part of the trip. We're flying off to Brussels later today. We'll have a five hour overlay in Newark before heading across the pond. From Brussels we'll take the train to Brugges, stay overnight and rent a car on Tuesday to drive over the border into Holland to visit the small town my father was born in. After dropping off the car the following day, we'll take the train into Paris. He wants to make sure his old mother gets to her hotel okay. That same night he'll be heading to Berlin on an overnight train for the remainder of his trip.

I'm going to Paris only because my travel agent says it's the best place to get a tour to Normandy. I'm booked for a full-day tour the next day. I'll then be taking the Eurostar into London on the 29th, and will have five full days to myself there. On May 4th, I hook up with a 24 day motorcoach tour of Great Britain and Ireland. I'm really looking forward to it, although this will be my first plane ride in 25 years and my first trip overseas. I figured since I don't like to fly, I'd try to see as much as I can in one trip.

[MARKUSPRIME]

Ivan our two nations we may have disagreements from time to time,but we know who our brothers are. We have to much language,history, and culture that binds us and the US will always be there for you Brits as well.

[Soul Seeker]

Bookmarking.

[ClaireSolt]

Out of curiosity, how does this line of thinking go, " people who say that Britain has got little in return for its support of the US since 9/11?" What is it that they think Britain might have or should have gotten that it has not?

[ishabibble]

Blair's incredible speech to the Australian Parliament only a few weeks ago was one of the most moving and inspiring I have ever heard. Of course, it was buried by the MSM.

In that speech, Blair revealed, as he does in this interview, that he "gets" what is happening in the WOT and most importantly, with the building sentiment of isolationism within the U.S.

London was bombed last July. Nobody did anything about it, except the nutty Commies who control most of British authority. They removed the national flags from prisons so as not to offend the Muslim convicts, and they rearranged the toilets so as not to point towards Mecca.

Spain was bombed. The people surrendered to the terrorists at the voting booths.

Riots over Danish cartoons. Now, the leading news channel there has an anchorwoman reading the headlines in a hajib.

France. What can anyone say?

Pulling up the drawbridges doesn't look so bad these days.
It's not cowardice, it's just so disheartening to shovel s*** against the tide.

[MadIvan]

Speaking personally, I don't want anything from the US as a nation - the major gripe I had, the funding of the IRA, has been largely dealt with.

The one thing that really bloody annoys me is that there is still a very rabid anti-British contingent here on FR. Some people take glee in spouting off random, disgusting insults about the Prime Minister and the people of Britain. Too many men have died for that stance to be socially acceptable on a pro-war on terror site.

Regards, Ivan

[snowsislander]

Thank God for leaders like him, John Howard in Australia, the Japanese PM, ...

Prime Minister Koizumi unfortunately will be stepping down later this year since he feels that he has served long enough.

I think he has proved to be the best of the post-war Japanese prime ministers.

[BlueAngel]

Enjoyed this very much, thanks!!

[ClaireSolt]

Sorry to hear that. I had not noticed. I am an historian, and as I look out at the world I see the flowering of all of the effort of generations of Englishmen who built the British empire. I think Brits can be proud that it is English that is the lingua franca of these times, even after you gave up having an empire.

[prairiebreeze]

resurrecting taglne

[stinkerpot65]

Cheers to Tony Blair. And many thanks to the Brits, especially those who have fought and died.