UAE: British Prime Minister Tony Blair urges Middle East states to rein in Iran

British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on Wednesday (December 20) for Middle East states to rein in what he calls the threat from Iran and to help advance peacemaking between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking in the United Arab Emirates, he underlined what has been the theme of his Middle East tour: moderate leaders must be empowered against extremists. "We must support and empower moderate and modernising governments and people everywhere in this region. We must recognise the strategic challenge the government of Iran poses, not its people, not possibly all of its ruling elements, but those presently in charge of its policy. They seek to pin us back in Lebanon, in Iraq and in Palestine. Our response should be to expose what they are doing, build the alliances to prevent it and pin them back across the whole of this region," he said. "To do all of this, we need the open and clear backing of the countries of this region, who know better than we what is happening and why. In other words, at every stage and every aspect of this struggle, we should be acting to decisively in favour of those who share our values," he told business leaders in Dubai. Blair's spokesman dismissed suggestions his comments on Iran were designed to pit the region's Sunni Muslims against Shi'ite Iran, saying the prime minister worked with all faiths. Blair visited Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories before arriving in the United Arab Emirates. Aides say Blair made progress on the trip in exploring ways to end a deadlock between Palestinians and Israelis. He will pursue talks with world leaders in early 2007, particularly on a package of aid for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has called for elections after failing to form a unity administration with the Hamas-led government, which is being boycotted by the West. Blair will list three priorities: to give Abbas's office the capacity to improve Palestinians' lives; to engineer an early meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and to relaunch the political process for a two-state solution.

ITN Source | December 20, 2006

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