BLAIR'S SECRET WAR MEETINGS WITH CLINTON

The Drudge Report ^ | 4/24/03

[rockinonritalin]

BLAIR'S SECRET WAR MEETINGS WITH CLINTON... Tony Blair took repeated secret advice from Bill Clinton on how to unlock the diplomatic impasse between Europe and the US in the build-up to the war... DEVELOPING...

[rockinonritalin]

Tony Blair took repeated secret advice from the former American president Bill Clinton on how to unlock the diplomatic impasse between Europe and the US in the build-up to the war on Iraq, the Guardian can reveal.

In the crucial weekend before to the final breakdown of diplomacy in March, Mr Clinton was a guest of Mr Blair's at Chequers where the pair discussed the crisis.

Mr Blair was battling to persuade the Chilean president Ricardo Lagos - a key figure on the security council - to back a second UN resolution setting a new deadline for Saddam to co-operate fully with the UN or face military action.

Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

Mr Blair and Mr Clinton met at least three times to discuss the war, underlining the extent to which Mr Blair rates Mr Clinton's analytical powers, despite the bond of trust he has also formed with the Republican White House.

The two men met on the weekend of March 8, the weekend during which Clare Short, the international development secretary, exploded a grenade by accusing the prime minister of running a reckless policy towards Iraq.

In a speech in Washington three days later Mr Clinton said the UN's chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, should set the timetable for compliance, adding: "I hope the United States would agree to that amount of time, whatever it is."

Mr Clinton was careful to say that Mr Bush was sincere in his pursuit of UN support, but added: "The question is, do they want the support bad enough to let Mr Blix finish his work and give enough time to do that?"

At that point, Mr Blair had been pressing the US in private to extend a deadline by which Saddam would have to shown to be co-operating with the UN.

Mr Blair and Mr Clinton had a warm, mutually supportive relationship during the latter's presidency. After the election of Mr Bush, Downing Street aides were anxious to maintain the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. Private polling for No 10 during the build-up to war showed hostility towards Mr Bush among British voters and Labour MPs, who disliked his language and manner.

At the time of Mr Clinton's private visit to Chequers, Mr Blair was very close to winning the agreement of the Chileans to British proposals.

The prime minister was so desperate to secure Chilean support that he told Mr Lagos that he was prepared to make the 7,230-mile journey to Santiago to clinch the support of the first centre-left leader of Chile since Salvador Allende.

In practice, Mr Blair would not have made the 35-hour round trip unless he could be sure that he would not be returning empty-handed and humiliated.

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, had also expressed a willingness to travel to Chile, hoping that his earlier decision to arrest General Augusto Pinochet had given him some personal influence in the former dictator's country.

British efforts to secure a deal were scuppered when the French president, Jacques Chirac, gave a television interview saying he would veto a resolution authorising war whatever the circumstances.

Mr Blair followed up the interview with a private call to Mr Chirac, in which the French president said he would not tolerate any resolution that contained an ultimatum to Saddam.

Commenting on Mr Chirac's television performance, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, told the Guardian: "He blew it. If he had said 'let's look at it again in two months time', we would have been in much greater difficulty."

[Howlin]

This sounds like Clinton's people still trying to horn in on a success they never had.

Remember just last week we heard all about how the reason we won was because of what Clinton had done to improve the military!

[FairOpinion]

But obviously Blair took Bush's advice, not Clinton's.

I bet Blair wasn't seeking Clinton's advice, instead, Clinton was trying to insert himself and cause trouble, abusing his previous friendship with Blair, and Blair was too polite to tell Clinton where to go.

Remember Clinton had secret meeting with the Saudi prince too, when the Prince visited Bush at Crawford. Clinton just can't get used to not being president.

I bet he figured, that if Gore got elected, the Clintons could still pull the strings in the background. Bush's election denied Clinton another 8 years of presidency.

[TLBSHOW]

Trust Tony's judgment

Bill Clinton

Tuesday March 18, 2003
The credit for 1441 belongs in large measure to Blair, who saw it as a chance to disarm Saddam in a way that strengthened the UN and preserved the Atlantic alliance. Unfortunately, the consensus behind 1441 has unravelled. Saddam has destroyed some missiles but beyond that he has done only what he thinks is necessary to keep the UN divided on the use of force. The really important issues relating to chemical and biological weapons remain unresolved.

In the face of the foot dragging, hawks in America have been pushing for an immediate attack on Iraq. Some of them want regime change for reasons other than disarmament, and, therefore, they have discredited the inspection process from the beginning; they did not want it to succeed. Because military action probably will require only a few days, they believe the world community will quickly unite on rebuilding Iraq as soon as Saddam is deposed.






http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,916233,00.html

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

You are an optimist. : )

[SevenofNine]

You know what I THINK Tony Blair would listen politey to Clinton but I don't think NOW he listen to Bill oh nooooo Blair is listening to more to Dubya COUNT ON IT

Beside Blair is Gentleman he not going diss Clinton open way NO WAY that unruly for Brit to do

[Kenny Bunk]

Ah, quelle douce la revanche!

For months I have been suffering the odd sling and arrow from Freepers telling me how great the Blair WEASEL was, what a pal to our brave GWB, etc. ad nauseam.

Menatime, the ferret-faced clymer was confabbing with his bosom buddy Billy! Har har hardy har har! If it hadn't been for OBL, this Labour SOB would have been on the dole with the rest of the soccer yobboes where he belongs.

Worst thing OBL did? Not the Towers,Mate. Keeping Tony Blair in office.

[PhiKapMom]

Blair's secret war meetings with Clinton

Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent
Friday April 25, 2003
The Guardian

Tony Blair took repeated secret advice from the former American president Bill Clinton on how to unlock the diplomatic impasse between Europe and the US in the build-up to the war on Iraq, the Guardian can reveal.

In the crucial weekend before to the final breakdown of diplomacy in March, Mr Clinton was a guest of Mr Blair's at Chequers where the pair discussed the crisis.

Mr Blair was battling to persuade the Chilean president Ricardo Lagos - a key figure on the security council - to back a second UN resolution setting a new deadline for Saddam to co-operate fully with the UN or face military action.

Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

Mr Blair and Mr Clinton met at least three times to discuss the war, underlining the extent to which Mr Blair rates Mr Clinton's analytical powers, despite the bond of trust he has also formed with the Republican White House.

The two men met on the weekend of March 8, the weekend during which Clare Short, the international development secretary, exploded a grenade by accusing the prime minister of running a reckless policy towards Iraq.

In a speech in Washington three days later Mr Clinton said the UN's chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, should set the timetable for compliance, adding: "I hope the United States would agree to that amount of time, whatever it is."

Mr Clinton was careful to say that Mr Bush was sincere in his pursuit of UN support, but added: "The question is, do they want the support bad enough to let Mr Blix finish his work and give enough time to do that?"

At that point, Mr Blair had been pressing the US in private to extend a deadline by which Saddam would have to shown to be co-operating with the UN.

Mr Blair and Mr Clinton had a warm, mutually supportive relationship during the latter's presidency. After the election of Mr Bush, Downing Street aides were anxious to maintain the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. Private polling for No 10 during the build-up to war showed hostility towards Mr Bush among British voters and Labour MPs, who disliked his language and manner.

At the time of Mr Clinton's private visit to Chequers, Mr Blair was very close to winning the agreement of the Chileans to British proposals.

The prime minister was so desperate to secure Chilean support that he told Mr Lagos that he was prepared to make the 7,230-mile journey to Santiago to clinch the support of the first centre-left leader of Chile since Salvador Allende.

In practice, Mr Blair would not have made the 35-hour round trip unless he could be sure that he would not be returning empty-handed and humiliated.

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, had also expressed a willingness to travel to Chile, hoping that his earlier decision to arrest General Augusto Pinochet had given him some personal influence in the former dictator's country.

British efforts to secure a deal were scuppered when the French president, Jacques Chirac, gave a television interview saying he would veto a resolution authorising war whatever the circumstances.

Mr Blair followed up the interview with a private call to Mr Chirac, in which the French president said he would not tolerate any resolution that contained an ultimatum to Saddam.

Commenting on Mr Chirac's television performance, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, told the Guardian: "He blew it. If he had said 'let's look at it again in two months time', we would have been in much greater difficulty."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,943161,00.html

[Lunatic Fringe]

Tony Blair took repeated secret advice from the former American president Bill Clinton on how to unlock the diplomatic impasse between Europe and the US in the build-up to the war on Iraq, the Guardian can reveal.

In the crucial weekend before to the final breakdown of diplomacy in March, Mr Clinton was a guest of Mr Blair's at Chequers where the pair discussed the crisis.

Mr Blair was battling to persuade the Chilean president Ricardo Lagos - a key figure on the security council - to back a second UN resolution setting a new deadline for Saddam to co-operate fully with the UN or face military action.

Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

Mr Blair and Mr Clinton met at least three times to discuss the war, underlining the extent to which Mr Blair rates Mr Clinton's analytical powers, despite the bond of trust he has also formed with the Republican White House.

Full Article

[Howlin]

Oh, geez, will you look at this: Bill Clinton being used as a source..............ROFLMAO.

[Miss Marple]

Yes, indeed. I would guess that Clinton offered this as a solution, knowing full well that he had talked Chirac into vetoing it.

However, all's well that ends well, and now Clinton is apparently trying to portray himself as the big diplo-expert.

That train has left the station, and no one cares how cozy he is with the French.

What I really want to know is if Clinton's name shows up in those boxes that the reporters found with all sorts of letters to and from the Saddam regime. I will not be one it surprised.

[FairOpinion]

"The Guardian" -- now we know it's spin.

[swheats]

Clinton's advice: delay delay delay.

We still accomplished our mission.

[Howlin]

All you need to read is this part to know this is a complete load of BS:

Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

[GLDNGUN]

Wait a sec...let me see if I have this straight...Clinton was giving advice to Blair so the diplomatic efforts would succeed and Bush would look like a diplomatic AND military genius? Uh, yeah...that's likely. NOT.

[Howlin]

Absolutely.

[TLBSHOW]

blair was the problem from the start and we could of been in Iraq and had it liberated last year.

I do not ever support a socialist as many here do for some odd reason.

conservative and socialism do not go together.

[kayak]

Since sad little tommy declared the diplomacy a total bust, I guess we know now whose diplomacy he was talking about .... :-)

[Mo1]

It's no wonder why Diplomacy failed! :-)

BINGO!!

And to think Clinton almost cost Blair his job

[Mr. Mojo]

Clinton stains everything he touches. Why would Blair seek the advice of such a buffoon?