Middle East News
Germany unhappy at way Blair was chosen for Mideast role: report
Jun 28, 2007, 8:23 GMT
Berlin - Germany is unhappy at the way former British premier Tony Blair was chosen for his new role as an international Middle East peace envoy, press reports said Thursday.
Blair was named to the post by the European Union, United Nations, Russia and the United States, the group mediating in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and known collectively as the Quartet.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed annoyance at a 'lack of consultation' with Quartet members before the appointment was made, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said.
Germany, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, is the EU's representative on the Quartet.
Blair held confidential discussions on the post with Washington, which formally recommended him without prior consultation with the other Quartet members, the newspaper said.
'Of course that can't please the Quartet members,' Steinmeier said before the appointment was formally announced in the UN on Wednesday evening. At the same time, the German foreign minister said that Blair was qualified for the job.
The UN announcement, which came hours after Blair formally resigned as prime minister, was apparently delayed because of Russian reservations.
Analysts said Blair would have a narrow mandate that includes mobilising international assistance to the Palestinians and helping to develop their institutions and economy.
During his final prime minister's questions in parliament on Wednesday, Mr Blair told lawmakers that his 'absolute priority' would be to bring about a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Like US role as a biased mediator was not enough now one more pro Israel 'negotiator' was added to table at the cost of Palestinian victims. The people of the region will see this as another theatrical show by the west who will not accept any change in status que therefore more war and bloodshed will continue.
Yeah, more war. more money for me
Of course Blair is capable of doing this job but it was definitly not a smart decision to appoint him. There are others who are as qualified as he is.
This is a unbelievable hard job. A negotiator not just has to be unbiased he also has to be accepted as being unbiased by all sides.
Blair is propably the one who will be seen as the most biased imaginable person for that job. This appointment plays directly into the hands of Hamas as they will present this as proof that the entire middle east peace process is nothing but fraud and meant to cheat the palestinians. Even more hearts and minds for them.
Every deal Fatah might make on his suggestions will be shown as another act of 'high treason' and only serving Israeli interests.
It's a shame!!!!!
Mr Blair shares direct personal responsibility
for a war in Iraq which helped topple a brutal
dictator but which has also claimed the lives of
thousands of innocent civilians, as well
as soldiers. The co-author of the Iraqi bloodbath
now wants to be received as peace envoy by the
Arab world and Israel! Good luck, Mr Blair, may
you repair some of the damage your country when it
'administered' the Middle East. And the sooner you stop this
farce, the better - think, instead, about
an alternative career, like
lecturing conservative hawks on which strategy NOT to use
for their next war.
Yeah, B-liar's appointment upon a US recommendation reveals the sham-nature of the Quartet's 'peace process', likely to help escalate this rising controversy.
I would have wished the Russians vetoing the US-effort on grounds that B-liar is suspected of war-crimes in Iraq, which violate both the Nuremberg Charter and the UN-Charter (interestingly, B-liar never fails to mention that 'the UN approved the invasion', whilst Annan openly condemned this preventive assault as early as 2003!).
One day, these pariahs (Bush, Cheney, B-liar et al.) will hopefully stand before a tribunal -- they deserve this!
blair is a F*ck tard, monkey f*cking, anal licking puffda
who's only gift will be his neck meeting a knife, and his head rolling. this guy has done more harm to the middle east and western relations then anyone BUT bush and his butt buddy chain holding anal raping friend dick everyone chainy
FRAU MERKEL MAY PLAY DOWN TONY'S ROLE BUT SOME WOULD SAY IT MIGHT BE A TAD INAPROPRIATE FOR HER TO NOMINATE! CERTAINLY SINCE SOME OF HER COUNTRYMEN ARE DISBELIEVING OF THE JEWISH PERSECUTION PRE WAR AND DURING!
THE POLISH P.M'S IMPROMPTU WWII HISTORY LESSON REGARDING THAT INVASION AND ' ACT LEADING TO WORLD WAR 'DURING E.U PARLIAMENTARIAN SITTING LAST WEEK WAS ENLIGHTENING & TRUE. IF NOTHING ELSE!
APPARENTLY OVER 3 MILLION WHOM PERISHED AT THIS TIME IN POLAND WERE ALSO OF JEWISH ORIGIN!
CREDIT & RESPECT TO ALL THOSE WHO STRIVE FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION!
Something to throw into the mix, as it is a basic point often lost on us average folk.
Example. Ted fires Joe. Joe is despondent and that week kills his family and himself. A tragic (singular) event? You bet. Was Ted's firing of Joe the cause of this tragedy? Plainly not. Was the act of firing a catalyst to this tragedy? Clearly, yes.
Dictionary definitions of 'cause' and 'catalyst' clearly differentiate the meanings. Now think how often you've heard the claims that the tragic events (note: plural) in Iraq were 'caused' by this action/decision/person, or other.
this guy is a piss poor excuse for a human, he should not be allowed to step foot in the middle east,
we should care about the people being harmed not his and his buddies fat wallets
The only redeeming factor about this man is that he finally stepped away from Bush. Now, if he would just stand up against EVERYTHING negative that's going on in the middle east, maybe he could coax people into going in the right direction. Wishful thinking?
Unfortunately sparky he has just stepped closer to bush who will now completely pull his strings. He is about to start work for bushes israeli buddies and make the whole situation worse so the neo-cons can get their plans for the middle-east back on track. Making one of the ring leaders of the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Iraq a peace envoy is like asking hitler to become Israeli president.
If gordon brown wants to win the next three elections all he has to do is tell bush and the neo-cons that he is not playing any more and go back to being a socialist.
page: 1
danJun 28th, 2007 - 09:37:15
who is paying Bliar's salary?
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