MOTH TO THE FLAME:

Blair plan for Iraq at odds with U.S. (David R. Sands, March 27, 2003, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

A central point of contention in the Camp David discussions is expected to be Mr. Blair's proposal that the United Nations take a prominent role in the oversight of Iraq after the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

U.S. officials have been vague about the constitution of a postwar administration in Iraq. But there is deep skepticism in the administration about including the United Nations after the failure of the Security Council to approve a second resolution sought by Washington and London explicitly authorizing the war.

At a London press conference yesterday before leaving for Washington, Mr. Blair said, "I can assure you that it is our desire to make sure the United Nations [is] centrally involved" in the Iraq reconstruction project.

Nile Gardiner, a visiting fellow in Anglo-American security policy at the Heritage Foundation, said Mr. Blair runs a risk if he presses the point too hard.

"I think Blair might be underestimating the tremendous opposition to going down the U.N. route again inside the Bush administration," Mr. Gardiner said.

Mr. Blair also has been far more outspoken than Mr. Bush in urging a renewed international effort to revive peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, in large part to mend fences with Arab states.

Mr. Bush's Rose Garden pledge two weeks ago to release the Middle East "road map" — a phased peace plan drafted by the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia — was widely seen as a gesture to Mr. Blair.

The British prime minister, answering questions in Parliament yesterday, insisted, "There is no difference between us at all on the basic principles" in the Middle East peace process.

If Mr. Blair has not been weaned from his multilateralism by the complete failure of international institutions over the past six months, then our interests diverge.

MORE:
PATRIOT ACT:
George & Tony – friends forever? (Pat Buchanan, March 24, 2003, Creators Syndicate)

Even conservatives who prefer that the cousins across the pond choose Tory leaders find much to admire in Tony Blair. He is arguably America's best friend.

One of the things that makes Mr. Buchanan so likable is that he's so easily wooed back to the conservative mainstream when the rubber hits the road. Thus he too has gone dewy eyed for Tony on the basis of the aid he's giving us for a war Mr. Buchanan "opposes". But he's right in the rest of the column that there are tougher times ahead for the Special Relationship if Mr. Bush has to choose between Britain or Israel.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 27, 2003 8:29 AM