AFP: US denies rift with Blair on Syria, Iran

[Eugene]

US denies rift with Blair on Syria, Iran

by Stephen Collinson
1 hour, 34 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House rushed to deny claims of a diplomatic
rift with its closest European ally Britain, after Prime Minister Tony Blair
mooted a "partnership" with US foes Iran and Syria.

As the impact of a major foreign policy address by the British leader started
to sink in, the White House bristled at suggestions Blair had struck out
from Washington, issuing a fact sheet to debunk the claim.

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On Tuesday, the British premier testified by video link-up to the US Iraq Study
Group, probing possible new strategies on the war and called for a "strategic
choice" for Iran and Syria, Downing Street said.

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President George W. Bush's spokesman Tony Snow however told AFP on Tuesday
that suggestions in the US and British media that Blair's remarks signalled cracks
between Downing Street and the White House were mischaracterizations.

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Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061115/wl_afp/usbritainiraqmideast_061114225533