My Life and Times

Don't Mock Bush, Work with Him, Blair Tells Europe
1 hour, 6 minutes ago
By Mike Peacock
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Tony Blair (news - web sites) urged Europe and the United States on Monday to bury differences over Iraq (news - web sites) and focus their energies on global challenges such as lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Reuters Photo
Reuters
Slideshow: British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Blair, speaking three days after meeting President Bush (news - web sites), said to lampoon the U.S. administration was self-defeating and that a positive attitude from EU leaders could temper impulses in Washington to go it alone around the world.
"It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American arguments and parody their political leadership," the prime minister told the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London -- his major foreign policy speech of the year.
"What is entirely sensible however is for Europe to say terrorism won't be beaten by toughness alone," he said.
Ever since London and Washington waged war in Iraq last year, substantial cracks have opened between them and European powers like France and Germany, which argue the war made the world less safe and galvanized support for militants.
Blair has stood staunchly beside Bush since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States at a serious cost to his public standing at home and with fellow EU leaders.
Despite facing an election next year, he shows no sign of moving away from Bush who is disliked by many Britons.
"I am not, repeat not, advocating a series of military solutions ... but I am saying that patiently but plainly Europe and America should be working together to bring the democratic, human and political rights we take for granted to the world denied them," Blair said.
TWO-WAY STREET
But cooperation is a two-way street.
"None of this will work however unless America too reaches out. Multilateralism that works should be its aim. I have no sympathy for unilateralism for its own sake," Blair said.
French President Jacques Chirac makes a state visit to Britain later this week and will hold talks with Blair.
But with bitterness still lingering, Blair faces a major challenge to make real his dream of Britain acting as a bridge between Europe and the United States, something he acknowledged.
"Europe is divided over the scale of economic reform and Iraq has divided it further into those enthusiastic for the trans-Atlantic alliance and those nervous of it," he said.
"We believe passionately that Europe must take the road of reform in its economy and renewal of its alliance with America.
"Britain should be proud of its alliance with America, clear in its role in Europe and a tireless advocate of a strong bond between the two ... Of course it's difficult but that doesn't mean it isn't still right and worth striving for."
Bush and Blair set out on Friday a four-year goal of seeing a Palestinian state established and vowed to mobilize global support to help the push for peace after Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s death.
Bush also stressed he wanted to work with European allies and pledged to visit EU capitals early next year.
"Here there is an opportunity for Europe. American policy is evolving," Blair said.
"Both Europe and America are coming to realize that lasting security against fanatics and terrorists cannot be provided by conventional military force but requires a commitment to democracy, freedom and justice."