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Blair advocates role for Iran, Syria

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday gave evidence, via video link, to America's Iraq Study Group which is reviewing President George W. Bush's disastrous strategy.

Mr. Blair's intervention was described as a private session and details were not known but he was understood to have put forward the current British thinking which favoured "engaging'' with Iran and Syria to bring stability to Iraq. In a major speech, hours before he spoke to the Group Mr. Blair offered "partnership'' to Iran and Syria in securing peace in Iraq and pushing forward the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. But he said in return they must stop supporting "terrorism,'' and Iran must give up its nuclear ambitions.

In remarks that he was believed to have repeated in his evidence, Mr. Blair said: "We offer Iran a clear strategic choice. They help the Middle East [West Asia] peace process, not hinder it. They stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq. They abide by, not flout, their international obligations. In that case, a new partnership is possible. Or alternatively, they face the consequence of not doing so — isolation." His message to Syria was also conciliatory though he denied that there had been a change in British policy towards the two countries he has consistently accused of fomenting trouble in Iraq.

In Washington, Mr. Bush was reported to have said "brusquely'' that he had "not seen'' Mr. Blair's speech and insisted that there could be no talks with Iran unless it suspended its nuclear programme. His reaction was seen here as a "rebuff'' to Mr. Blair and signs of what The Times called "cracks'' opening up in the Anglo-U.S. solidarity over Iraq.

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