Blair Disputes Bush's Belief Iraq Rift Is Over

[Sticky]

Trouble in Denial Paradise?

-SNIP-
There's no point in us standing here and saying, 'You know, all the previous disagreements have disappeared.' They haven't," Blair said with Bush at his side.

Blair's comments directly contradicted Bush's after a summit with European Union (news - web sites) leaders in Ireland last weekend.

"The bitter differences of the war are over," Bush had confidently declared. Many European states, including France and Germany, opposed last year's invasion of Iraq.

Bush and Blair, the two closest allies in the war in Iraq, appeared together on the sidelines of a NATO (news - web sites) summit to celebrate the surprise early handover of power from the U.S.-led coalition to the Iraqi interim government.

-more-
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040628/wl_nm/nato_summit_bush_blair_dc_1

[bluedeminredstate]

1. The organ grinder

tells the monkey what the real deal is!

[truthspeaker]

2. Key difference between Bush and Blair:

Bush wants Blair to swallow, but Blair insists on spitting. Labour party leaders applauded this show of independence on the part of the Prime Minister.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. The difference?

Bush is far enough away from Europe that he can lie to his blind followers and they'll believe him.

Blair has citizens that go into other parts of Europe every day or week. He can't hide anything from them.

[joeybee12]

4. SO is Blair realizing he better grow a backbone or he's out of a job?

[kskiska]

5. I can just picture the dumb look on *'s face

Bush also appeared to back away from his upbeat assessment in Ireland, telling reporters in Istanbul: "My sense is that there's a hope that we succeed, with all the nations sitting around the table. Everyone understands the stakes."

[yardwork]

7. What a moran. Every time he opens his mouth I wince.

"Everyone understands the stakes?"

Excuse me while I go barf. What an embarrassment.

[izzie]

6. Will we have to go to war with the Brits now?

Are they now classed as evil?

[Lindacooks]

8. What? The poodle stood up to his handler??

Has Blair finally woken up?

[BeyondGeography]

9. Bush has the American disease: Mindless Optimism

Blair's just being a negative gloom-and-doomer. Or is it "realistic"?