Reuters: Blair urges bold action against "extremism" in Iran

[Eugene]

Blair urges bold action against "extremism" in Iran

By Katherine Baldwin
2 hours, 32 minutes ago

DUBAI (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged world leaders on Wednesday
to be bolder in supporting leading moderates against "forces of extremism" in Iran
and elsewhere and in advancing Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Blair, on the final day of what may be his last Middle East tour, said Iran was openly
supporting terrorism in Iraq, undermining the Lebanese government and blocking Israeli-
Palestinian peace.

-snip-

Blair, who will leave office next year and whose popularity has been eroded by the Iraq
war, rejected suggestions American or British action in the Middle East was fuelling
terrorism.

"We should stop buying into this wretched culture of blaming ourselves," he told business
leaders in Dubai. "If our policy has a fault, it is that we are too shy of acting boldly
to bring about change, to give succor to those trying to live for the better."

Blair called on moderate leaders across the Middle East to join a "monumental struggle"
between democracy and extremism.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061220/ts_nm/britain_blair_dc

[Donnachaidh]

1. The chorus is warming up

The warships are in place. Now all we need is Israel and the US to start singing and it's WWIII. :sarcasm:

[madrchsod]

2. the people of iran just rejected the conservatives

and now bush and his bitch wants to invade? the iranian people are hostages to this insanity just like we are

[MrPrax]

3. Which lie this time, psycho? n/t

[Hoosier Dem]

4. Will Tony EVER get tired of being Bush's bitch????

If I'm right, the new Parlaimentary elections are in May. I think the only question is does Blair go down or does he suck the whole Labor Party down with him???

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections in May

There is a good likelihood Labour (currently leading a coalition with the Lib Dems) will lose seats in the Scottish parliament; it's possible the Scottish National Party might become the largest party (if so, they'd almost certainly have to form a coalition - that might be possible with the Lib Dems, but their views on Scottish independence are far enough apart that that might not be possible). They'll probably lose seats in the Welsh Assembly too, but it's unlikely any party will overtake them there - Wales has been a Labour heartland as long as the party has existed.

Remember, the Scottish and Welsh bodies have less power than a state congress does in the US. The one big issue would be whether the Scottish parliament called a referendum on complete independence from the UK - and then what the result would be.

[cadmium]

6. He should say what he means by "bold" action?

Maybe he means college kids should drive by the Iranian embassy and moon them. What does "bold action" mean?