Blair appointed Middle East envoy

[Idris]

Blair appointed Middle East envoy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6244358.stm

Adding insult to injury

When you hear the news of Tony Blair's possible appointment as the Quartet's peace envoy to the Middle East, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. His selection for the job takes American policy in the Middle East to new heights of absurdity. The proposal we all know was put forward and pushed neither by Russia, nor the EU, but by the US as a reward for years of good service. But the decision is lunacy itself. The guiding question could only have been: who is the most profoundly resented and bitterly hated man in the Middle East? Bar Bush, the honour could only have gone to Blair.

Having failed to be appointed head of the World Bank, and rejected by most Europeans as president of the EU, and by Arabs as Middle East envoy, what is Blair to do?

In my view, Blair should return to the stage and have a go at chasing his long dream of being an actor. For that is what he has always been. As PM he blurred the boundaries between politics and acting. With him politics became one with image, sound bite, make-up, hair dye, designer suits, carefully rehearsed movements and fake smiles:D . It is time for him to leave politics alone and get back where he belongs.

By Soumaya Ghannoushi

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/...to_injury.html

The World Has Gone Mad.

[glo]

I must say I do wonder whether Blair will ever have the necessary credibility with the parties involved in the Middle East conflict - bearing his mind his part in the Iraq war ... I mean, he cannot possibly be seen to have a neutral position.

Thing is, he did quite well in the peace process in Northern Ireland. Perhaps that's what stands in his favour ...

Peace

[Muslim Woman]

With the name of ALLAH ( God Almighty ) -The Bestower Of Unlimited Mercy, The Continously Merciful


Salaam/ peace ;

..... he did quite well in the peace process in Northern Ireland. Perhaps that's what stands in his favour ...

Peace

I think , Blair served Bush very well .So, it's Bush's turn now to do something for his PA/ pet dog ...whatever u wish to call him.



Verses of the day & night –


'Did you think that We had created you without any purpose and that you would never return to Us (for accountability)?'



-Quran (23:115)


Do justice. Verily Allah loves those who do justice.

Al-Hujurat 49:9

[Bittersteel]

Blair isn't bad.He just made a single mistake:Iraq.
that's the only thing you can point against him really;unless you count about some innocent Muslims he sent to Gitmo,some of them being only just illegal immigrants.
Hope me make some changes.

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[NobleMuslimUK]

Does Bliar think he will command any respect from the muslim world, this man hasnt much to offer, a person who let his own country down how can he benefit anyone else.

[Trumble]

Does Bliar think he will command any respect from the muslim world, this man hasnt much to offer, a person who let his own country down how can he benefit anyone else.

As I said in the other thread where this cropped up, the significance of Blair's appointment is that he might just be able to persuade the Israelis to shift. 'Respect from the muslim world" is irrelevant, the only people he needs to deal with are the Palestinians and necessity is such that they will respond to the message, not the messenger. If "the muslim world" can produce an envoy with a better chance of success of getting Palestinians and Israelis to agree on a solution I'm sure both sides, not to mention the Quartet and Blair, would be only too pleased to listen to him or her.

[Zman]

:sl:/Peace To All

Blair's 'Hands Smeared With Innocents' Blood'

By The Associated Prerss
Last update - 23:24 30/06/2007
Haaretz

A state-run Syrian newspaper on Saturday lambasted Tony's Blair's appointment as a special Middle East envoy, saying a man with "hands smeared with innocents' blood" cannot be a peace envoy.

Shortly after stepping down as Britain's prime minister, Blair was named Wednesday as a Mideast envoy by the "Quartet" of peace mediators that is comprised of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.

..."How could a liar, who is directly connected with Washington and who is a staunch proponent of the extremist rightist ideology, be a peace envoy?"

The Tishrin newspaper said in a front-page editorial.

"Who would trust his promises? Would he work truthfully for peace so long as he personally doesn't know, as we think, the meaning of the word 'truth'?"

In some Arab countries, including Syria, Blair has been criticized on the suspicion that he is a lackey of U.S. President George W. Bush and for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

"Can we forget that the new peace envoy repeats literally what is being dictated upon him by the lowest-ranking official at the White House?" Tishrin said.

It added that Blair's "U.S.-Israeli policy" is to be blamed for most of the "catastrophes and ordeals" that have befallen on the Arabs, and criticized his attempts to isolate Syria and impose sanctions on it.

"We would not pin great hopes on his mission simply because a war man could never be a peace advocate or peace envoy," the paper said.
"This is the first time throughout history in which we see a peace envoy with his hands smeared with innocents' blood."

...Hamas has already criticized Blair's appointment, saying he is too close to the United States.

Source:
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/876640.html

[Keltoi]

:sl:/Peace To All

The key phrase in that little article? "state-run"

[Trumble]

Who would trust his promises?

What 'promises'? Blair will be in no position to make promises, that's not what peace envoys do. All the can do is transmit other people's promises.. the trick is persuading them to make them in the first place.

[Idris]

Blair isn't bad.He just made a single mistake:Iraq.

Many ppl say this, but Blair it was RIGHT THING TO DO!(to go to war with Iraq)

As I said in the other thread where this cropped up, the significance of Blair's appointment is that he might just be able to persuade the Israelis to shift. 'Respect from the muslim world" is irrelevant, the only people he needs to deal with are the Palestinians and necessity is such that they will respond to the message, not the messenger. If "the muslim world" can produce an envoy with a better chance of success of getting Palestinians and Israelis to agree on a solution I'm sure both sides, not to mention the Quartet and Blair, would be only too pleased to listen to him or her.

Blair's appointment is that he might just be able to persuade the Israelis to shift. .. How many years was Blair in power? Did he do a thing to "shift" the Israelis then.. so what making you thing he do anything with out power!

Thing is, he did quite well in the peace process in Northern Ireland. Perhaps that's what stands in his favour ...

I don’t think he did a thing to help with the peace process in Northern Ireland, but turn up for his usual cheesy grin for the cameras to take the credit.

What 'promises'? Blair will be in no position to make promises, that's not what peace envoys do. All the can do is transmit other people's promises.. the trick is persuading them to make them in the first place.

Well his good at tricking and persuading!!

[IbnAbdulHakim]

Blair isn't bad.He just made a single mistake:Iraq.
that's the only thing you can point against him really;unless you count about some innocent Muslims he sent to Gitmo,some of them being only just illegal immigrants.
Hope me make some changes.

bro you make those sound like little mistakes....

just thinking about one family affected by his mistake is bad enough let alone the millions...

[Trumble]

OK then guys. Assuming you actually want peace in the Middle East and assuming that would involve an agreement of some sort between the Palestians, the Israelis and the neighbouring Arab states, who would you suggest as a peace envoy? Feel free to expand your answer with an explanation as to why he or she might be successful in negotiating with all three parties?

[smile]

he should just retire

[IbnAbdulHakim]

OK then guys. Assuming you actually want peace in the Middle East and assuming that would involve an agreement of some sort between the Palestians, the Israelis and the neighbouring Arab states, who would you suggest as a peace envoy? Feel free to expand your answer with an explanation as to why he or she might be successful in negotiating with all three parties?

hmm, what does the envoy do exactly? what rights does he have? how much authority is he given?

please educate me on this matter...

[Bittersteel]

bro you make those sound like little mistakes....

they aren't.that's why I have hardly any respect for him.and he was a puppet.He was popular once and he was a good administrator like I said(ofcourse his adventure his Iraq made me think otherwise).
this is a chance to redeem himself.yes he said what he did was right,but if he has a chance to save people now.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

they aren't.that's why I have hardly any respect for him.and he was a puppet.He was popular once and he was a good administrator like I said(ofcourse his adventure his Iraq made me think otherwise).

Alhamdulillah, thats good to hear bro :)

[Idris]

OK then guys. Assuming you actually want peace in the Middle East and assuming that would involve an agreement of some sort between the Palestians, the Israelis and the neighbouring Arab states, who would you suggest as a peace envoy? Feel free to expand your answer with an explanation as to why he or she might be successful in negotiating with all three parties?

We are saying that Blair will not bring peace Middle East cuz he has made war on the muslim ppl. It's like asking Robert Mugabe to be a peace envoy and fix up the problems of Sudan( note he has not started awar on the sudanese ppl). Anyone is better then him(Blair) as a Peace envoy!!

[wilberhum]

We are saying that Blair will not bring peace Middle East cuz he has made war on the muslim ppl. It's like asking Robert Mugabe to be a peace envoy and fix up the problems of Sudan( note he has not started awar on the sudanese ppl). Anyone is better then him(Blair) as a Peace envoy!!

Blair is a bad choice? Who is a good choince?
Why does the job fall on the West. Where are all the grand Muslem leaders?

It seams the Muslem countries only want the war to continue.
:raging:

[Trumble]

hmm, what does the envoy do exactly? what rights does he have? how much authority is he given?

please educate me on this matter...

I've no idea what his exact brief is... other than to seek to facilitate negotiations between Israel, the Palestinians and relevant Arab nations (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon) to establish the stated aim of the 'quartet'; a peaceful two-state solution. There will be no consideration of anything else. What an envoy usually does is transmit the positions of all sides to each other, tries to negoitate changes in those positions that would result in them being more acceptable and (hopefully) get everybody around a table and bully them into agreeing something. I can, and has happened, usually after a week of sleepless nights, several gallons of coffee and more than a few sulks and shouting matches.

An envoy has no 'rights' or such, although considering who appointed him anyone refusing to see him would need to think very carefully. He has no 'authority' either, if by that you mean the ability to make binding decisions on the others. The job is to persuade, cajole and (on occasion) threaten.. in a peaceful way, obviously.

We are saying that Blair will not bring peace Middle East cuz he has made war on the muslim ppl.

Blair hasn't made war on 'the muslim people'. In both Iraq and Afghanistan there are as many muslims on one side as on the other... not that means getting involved at all wasn't a mistake, of course. The relevant Arab players, Syria, Egypt and Jordan, are worried far more about Syria, Egypt and Jordan than the sensitivities of 'the muslim people'. The only people likely to take that approach are Hamas, and until they accept the right of Israel to exist and that the purpose of negotiations is a two-state solution and not one of their "end of Israel" fantasies, they will remain irrelevant to the process anyway. Nobody will be foolish enough to reject the message because of who the messenger is.. the stakes are too high. It is Blair's personal and diplomatic skills that will be important, not his past record.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

thanks Trumble, so it seems all the envoy really does is influence decisions, hmm in this case i definitly dont want blair to be an envoy seeing as his cunning can influence decisions greatly, hmm i dont really know who would make a good envoy.

what do you think?

[Trumble]

what do you think?

I don't see him having that influence, or at least in the way you suggest. You have to be be pretty cunning, not to mention ruthless, to get to be Israeli PM, or Fatah or Hamas leader... rather more so than British PM I suspect. An envoy has to be able to 'influence decisions' in some way or what would be the point in having one?

I think he is a good choice, for reasons I've already outlined. It's not insignificant that the UN, EU and Russia share that opinion - the little 'hiccup' with Russia regarding the appointment was solely related to other issues. It's not always a job that 'nice' guys can do... if you are dealing with hard, cunning and competent (even ruthless) men, an envoy must have those qualities too to some extent.

[Zman]

:sl:

These neo-nazi's are attempting to remake the image of this war criminal.

The 7 Seas won't be enough to cleanse his bloody hands...

[Keltoi]

:sl:

These neo-nazi's are attempting to remake the image of this war criminal.

The 7 Seas won't be enough to cleanse his bloody hands...

Hmmm...neo-nazis. Thanks once again for a enlightening edition of Zman's Nonsensical Theater.