Sincere condoleezzas for world war 3

Yo! Hug 'em close! It may be the last thing you do!

BBC NEWS | Nick Robinson's Newslog |: "Off with Blair to the US

* Nick
* 28 Jul 06, 08:28 AM

HEATHROW: This is - one of the prime minister's Cabinet colleagues told me - the most significant Blair/Bush summit ever. Not just, he said, because of the gravity of the situation in the Middle East; not just because of the widespread anger felt at Britain's position; not just because Tony Blair's own political position is precarious; but because of the by now infamous greeting from President to Prime Minister - 'Yo Blair'. That open microphone at the G8 summit captured what, as I mentioned yesterday, even in Whitehall they call the 'poodle problem'.

Those close to Tony Blair call his approach to the US the 'hug them close' strategy. Others less enamoured of it dub it 'the bite your tongue' approach and they're tiring of biting their own tongues.

Stephen Wall, once the PM's adviser on Europe, is one of those who can now speak out. His condemnation of his former boss's approach is echoed by many in Labour who are normally loyal to the prime minister.

Do not expect the Blair approach to change at the White House today. Not because Tony Blair fears a split with the US but because, as he delights in putting it, 'it's worse than you think, I actually believe it'.

The PM believes that calls for an immediate ceasefire treat Hizbollah - a terrorist organisation which rocketted Israeli civilians and captured her soldiers - as the moral equivalent of the democratic state it targetted and wants to destroy. It is, he argues, easy to be a commentator - easy, in other words, to label Israeli actions disproportionate. Harder, he insists, is to do what's necessary - that is, to develop a plan which both sides can sign up to and which will produce a sustainable ceasefire.

His advisers believe that their opposite numbers in the White House now understand that the American public's instinctive support for Israel is not shared in Europe. They hope their man can sell to the Americans a plan that they can sell to the Israelis which will then put Hizbollah on the spot and make clear that only their actions stand in the way of that immediate ceasefire. At its heart is the idea Tony Blair pushed at the G8 summit for an international stabilisation force. The hope is that this will be backed at a ministerial meeting of the United Nations next Tuesday.

The PM knows he's under huge pressure to prove that his approach delivers results. His Cabinet colleague told me this is the ultimate test of Tony Blair's entire approach to America."