Special Envoy Blair's Middle East Masquerade; Fluff, Bluff, Bluster And Betrayal ...

Look at Tony Blair looking as pleased as Punch with himself.

Could even the proverbial dog of 'two dicks' fame come across as so obviously, self servingly, smarmy and cocky?

Shorter Tony Blair (as we see it): A legend in his mind.


The truth is that toadying Tony is still as stupidly naive as he ever was, as far as anything remotely connected to the current American maladministration crew is concerned.

Witness a little of what 'The Telegraph' tells us today.

Tony Blair was told by the United States yesterday that he had no authority to tackle political negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians as he spent his first full day as special envoy to the Middle East.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, insisted that America would retain leadership of the "political track" while Mr Blair would work on raising funds for the Palestinians, as well as building their economy and infrastructure.

It was the clearest account yet of the former prime minister's role in the Middle East on behalf of the international Quartet - the European Union, United Nations, the United States and Russia. He will be more an envoy to the Palestinians than a peace envoy.

"I think his mandate was made clear by the Quartet when they issued the statement," said Miss Rice.

"There is also a political track that for a variety of reasons the United States is committed to lead in co-ordination with the Quartet."

Talk about being taken for (yet another), ride. Huh. With friends such as Tony's who the hell needs enemies?

Read the rest of today's'Telegraph expose'.

Sharif Hikmit Nashashibi, chairman of Arab Media Watch, certainly seems to have 'em all sussed out.

... speaking to Al Jazeera, [Nashashibi] said Blair had offered only "five minutes of fluff and generalisations".

"There was no real meat to what he was saying," he said. "It's typical Blair."

He said the Quartet itself had done "next to nothing" to work towards a solution.

"They talk a lot, they come out with generalisations, they portray the conflict as one of two equal sides but on the ground they have achieved next to nothing.

And they've appointed an envoy that will continue that level of success."

Read the rest of the relevant 'Al Jazeera-English' report.

So -- the Blair 'bottom line'?

He's been made BushCo's 'bag-man' in the Middle East.


We wonder whether or not he was first made something else?

Such as some sort of offer he couldn't refuse?

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