Former British PM Tony Blair Says The Ukraine War Shows "We Are Coming To The End Of Western Political And Economic Dominance"

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves the BBC Headquarters after appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, in London. © Reuters/HENRY NICHOLLS  

Reuters: Ukraine war shows West's dominance is ending as China rises, Blair says  

LONDON (Reuters) - The Ukraine war shows that the West's dominance is coming to an end as China rises to superpower status in partnership with Russia at one of the most significant inflection points in centuries, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. 

The world, Blair said, was at a turning point in history comparable with the end of World War Two or the collapse of the Soviet Union: but this time the West is clearly not in the ascendant. 

 "We are coming to the end of Western political and economic dominance," Blair said in a lecture entitled "After Ukraine, What Lessons Now for Western Leadership?" according to a text of the speech to a forum supporting the alliance between the United States and Europe at Ditchley Park west of London.  

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WNU Editor: Tony Blair is echoing what Russian President Putin said just 5 days ago .... Russian President Putin Says A Fundamental And Irreversible Breakdown Of The American-Led Liberal Order Is Well Under Way (July 12, 2022).

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair Says Islamism Remains First-Order Security Threat To The West

 

Daily Mail: Tony Blair takes a swipe at Joe Biden as he says the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will give the West's enemies 'a belief our time is over' 

* Tony Blair today took a swipe at Joe Biden over US withdrawal from Afghanistan 

* Ex-PM said US decided it has a 'very limited appetite for military engagement' 

* Withdrawal from global stage will give 'opponents a belief our time is over' 

Tony Blair today took a swipe at Joe Biden as he said the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will embolden the West's enemies and give them a 'belief our time is over'. 

The former prime minister said 'it is clear now' the US has decided that for the 'foreseeable future' it has a 'very limited appetite for military engagement'. 

Mr Blair suggested Europe and NATO should therefore 'develop the capability to act' when the US is 'unwilling'.  

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More News On Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair  

Islamism remains first-order security threat to west, says Tony Blair -- The Guardian  

Watch: ‘We need boots on the ground’ to remove terror threat, says Tony Blair -- Euronews 

CHEMICAL WARFARE Terrorists could use deadly bioweapons to attack Britain after Covid, warns Tony Blair -- The SUN  

Former UK PM Blair warns West should prepare for bio-terrorism threat -- Reuters 

‘First order security threat’ akin to revolutionary communism: Afghan war didn’t solve radical Islam, Tony Blair says -- RT  

Tony Blair: West needs to figure out how to deal with 'radical Islam' without US -- SKY News

Former British PM Has Announced That He Is 'Returning To British Politics'

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Reuters

Daily Mail: Blair is back! Former PM announces he is 'returning to British politics' because the Tories are 'screwing up Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn is a nutter' as he prepares to meet with Theresa May

* Former PM thinks Theresa May is a 'total lightweight,' says Blair's close ally
* He's 'not impressed' with her but the pair are due to meet for a coffee
* Blair is scouting office space to relocate his 130 workforce to Westminster

Tony Blair is hunting for a Westminster office for his new Brexit lobbying group as he plots his return to politics.

The former prime minister believes the Tories are 'screwing up Brexit' and views Jeremy Corbyn is 'a nutter,' an ally said.

He thinks there's a 'massive hole in British politics' that he can fill. Mr Blair is setting up a new institute that will seek to influence and advise the Brexit process.

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Update: Tony Blair 'returning to politics' because he thinks Jeremy Corbyn 'is a nutter' and Theresa May 'is a lightweight' (The Independent)

WNU Editor: ?!?!?!?!

Tony Blair Apology Was Actually An Apology On 'Wrong' Intelligence And Iraq War Mistakes

CNN: Tony Blair says he's sorry for Iraq War 'mistakes,' but not for ousting Saddam

(CNN)Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he's sorry for "mistakes" made in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but he doesn't regret bringing down dictator Saddam Hussein.

"I can say that I apologize for the fact that the intelligence we received was wrong because, even though he had used chemical weapons extensively against his own people, against others, the program in the form that we thought it was did not exist in the way that we thought," Blair said in an exclusive interview on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS that airs Sunday.

Blair was referring to the claim that Saddam's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction, which was used by the U.S. and British governments to justify launching the invasion. But the intelligence reports the claim was based on turned out to be false.

WNU Editor: What he said was not a personal apology .... far from it.

Previous Post: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Apologizes for Iraq War

More News On Tony Blair's "Iraq Apology"

Tony Blair: The clear lesson of Iraq war -- Tony Blair, CNN
'I felt it important that the US didn't face it alone': Tony Blair's response to being asked if the Iraq War was a mistake as he says the public can judge whether his decisions make him a war criminal -- Daily Mail
Tony Blair Apologizes For Iraq War Mistakes But Does Not Regret Toppling Saddam Hussein -- IBTimes
Tony Blair Says 2003 Iraq Invasion Played a Role in Rise of ISIS -- Time
Tony Blair Says Iraq War Helped Give Rise to ISIS -- NYT
Tony Blair Says Iraq War Contributed to Rise of ISIS -- WSJ
Tony Blair is right: without the Iraq war there would be no Islamic State -- Martin Chulov, The Guardian
Tony Blair concedes link between Islamic State and Iraq War -- BBC
'The Blair spin' Opponents hit out at Tony Blair's 'apology' over Iraq War -- Express
Dead Iraq soldier families say they feel 'revulsion' at Tony Blair over Iraq war -- The Telegraph
Call that an apology Mr, Blair? Army families' fury as ex-PM says he's sorry for mistakes of OTHER people over Iraq War -- Daily Mail
Faux sincerity. Weasel words. The Spin King strikes again: MICHAEL BURLEIGH on Tony Blair's controversial Iraq war apology -- Daily Mail

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Apologizes for Iraq War

Tony Blair, who has finally said sorry for the Iraq War during an interview on CNN, which is due to be broadcast on Sunday

Daily Mail: 'I'm sorry': Historic moment Tony Blair FINALLY apologises for Iraq War and admits in TV interview the conflict caused the rise of ISIS

* Former PM makes the confession after 12 years of refusing to apologise
* Blair says he is sorry for his conduct which has now led to 'hell' in Iraq
* Says there is an element of truth that the war caused the rise of ISIS
* Comes after Lord Blunkett revealed he had challenged Blair about the war

Tony Blair has finally said sorry for the Iraq War – and admitted he could be partly to blame for the rise of Islamic State.

The extraordinary confession by the former Prime Minister comes after 12 years in which he refused to apologise for the conflict.

Blair makes his dramatic ‘mea culpa’ during a TV interview about the ‘hell’ caused by his and George Bush’s decision to oust Saddam Hussein.

More News On Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Apologizing For The Iraq War

Tony Blair apologises for Iraq War mistakes and accepts invasion had part to play in the rise of the Islamic State -- The Telegraph
Tony Blair says 'sorry for mistakes of Iraq war' and admits the conflict 'could have sparked ISIS threat' -- Mirror
Tony Blair apologizes for Iraq War -- The Hill
Tony Blair finally apologises for war in Iraq -- IBTimes
Tony Blair FINALLY apologises for Iraq War 'mistakes' and admits invasion helped ISIS -- Express
Tony Blair apologises for 'mistakes' over Iraq War and admits 'elements of truth' to view that invasion helped rise of Isis -- The Independent

With The Middle East Burning The Middle East 'Special Envoy' Is Hard At Work

As West Debated Air Strikes On Syria, Where Was Peace Envoy Blair? On A Yacht In The Mediterranean -- Daily Mail

* Tony Blair jetted to the Med as news broke of chemical attacks
* Middle East 'Special Envoy' visited Saint Tropez and luxury yachts
* Blair was 'having meetings with various people,' spokesman said

He boasted recently of having ‘toiled over years’ to bring peace to the Middle East – and wrote of his concern at the ‘living nightmare’ in Syria.

But if Tony Blair was toiling in his role as Special Envoy to the long-troubled region last week, it is apparently nice work if you can get it.

While western governments reacted with fury to claims of a chemical weapons attack in Damascus and made moves towards launching air strikes on Syrian regime forces, the ex-Prime Minister was spotted in some of the most glamorous locations in the Mediterranean.

Mr Blair’s busy schedule at the back end of last week involved visiting several ‘super-yachts’ worth in excess of £100million – apparently three of them in the space of three days.

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My Comment: You just cannot make up this stuff. The above video is from an interview that was done last year.

Former British PM Blair: 'There Is A Problem Within Islam'

Stark view: Tony Blair says that Islamic extremism is more widespread than most politicians admit

Tony Blair Says Murder Of Lee Rigby PROVES 'There Is A Problem Within Islam' -- Daily Mail

* Ex-PM says 'the ideology behind his murder is profound and dangerous'
* Bold intervention comes of ever of Cameron Commons speech
* Blair urges governments to 'be honest'

Tony Blair today makes his most powerful political intervention since leaving Downing Street by launching an outspoken attack on ‘the problem within Islam’.

The former Prime Minister addresses the shocking killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich by going further than he – or any front-rank British politician – has gone before over the issue of Muslim radicalism.

Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, he departs from the usual argument that Islam is a peaceful religion that should not be tainted by the actions of a few extremists.

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My Comment: He is only realizing this now ?!?!?!

How One Former British Prime Minister Cashes In On His Former Job

The Grosvenor Square headquarters of Tony Blair's myriad companies and charities. The former prime minister's extensive foreign travel means he is rarely there Photo: JANE MINGAY

Inside The Intriguing World Of Tony Blair Incorporated -- The Telegraph

It is easy to walk past the anonymous, Georgian townhouse in central London without giving it a second glance. But the five-storey building on Grosvenor Square, close to the American embassy, is home to a multi-million pound industry with tentacles that reach across the globe.

The house acts as headquarters to Blair Inc, the unofficial name which Tony Blair’s activities have earned. It is from here that the former prime minister, among other things, makes his money.

Financial experts claim that his widespread portfolio of companies and properties have thrust him into the upper echelons of Britain’s super-rich. His fortune – hard to judge because of the secrecy that surrounds his various enterprises – could now be in the millions of pounds, possibly enough to push his name for the first time on to Britain’s unofficial rich list. Mr Blair, who with his wife Cherie owns seven properties, is probably among the 2,000 wealthiest people in Britain.

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My Comment: Did he become PM to serve, or did he become PM to make money. Former Prime Minister Blair has .... of course .... his own different opinion.

What Is Former British PM Tony Blair Doing Right Now

A bit rich: Mr Blair has said that he is worth 'considerably less' than £20 million Photo: REUTERS

On The Desert Trail Of Tony Blair's Millions -- The Telegraph

An explosive new TV documentary reveals the apparent conflict of interests that allows the former prime minister, now a Middle East peace envoy, to earn millions.

One of the first letters arranging Tony Blair’s 2008 visit to Colonel Gaddafi, the now deposed Libyan despot, was written on the notepaper of the “Office of the Quartet Representative” – the formal title of the former British prime minister, reflecting his role as Middle East peace envoy.

Mr Blair flew into Tripoli in a jet arranged by the Libyan government, and was met by British diplomats. Yet a well-placed source has told The Daily Telegraph that his visits were little to do with Middle East peace, saying instead that the “visits were lobby visits for banking deals with JP Morgan” – the US investment bank that pays Mr Blair a consultancy fee of a reported £2 million a year. However, Mr Blair’s official spokesman categorically denied that Blair lobbied Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son, on behalf of the bank, insisting that the visits were largely to do with African affairs.

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My Comment: I always say .... follow the money. In Tony Blair's case .... that money trail always leads to the Middle East.

Tony Blair To Be Criticized In The Chilcot Report On Iraq

In evidence, a defiant Tony Blair said he had no regrets about the war and maintained Britain would ultimately be able to look back on it with 'immense pride'

The Damning Of Tony Blair: Former PM To Be Held To Account On Iraq In Chilcot Report On War -- Daily Mail

* Iraq war deal 'signed in blood' by former Prime Minister
* Cabinet members kept in the dark in build-up to the war
* 'Obvious failings' in post-war planning

Tony Blair is to face scathing criticism from the official inquiry into the Iraq War for the role he played in leading Britain into one of its biggest foreign policy fiascos in modern history.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that the former Prime Minister will be held to account on four main failings:

* Bogus claims that were made about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction.
* Not telling the British public about his secret pledge with George Bush to go to war.
* Keeping the Cabinet in the dark by his ‘sofa government’ style.
* Failing to plan to avoid the post-war chaos in Iraq.

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More News On The Chilcot Report On War And Tony Blair

Chilcot points the finger at Blair over Iraq: Inquiry 'will condemn over four key failings' -- Daily Mail
Blair Faces Lashing From Iraq War Inquiry -- Global Security Newswire
Blair angered by 'pre-judging' of Chilcot inquiry on Iraq war -- The Independent
Iraq inquiry: Chilcot report 'to criticise Tony Blair' -- The Telegraph
Chilcot to 'heavily criticise' Tony Blair over Iraq war -- The Guardian
Blair faces criticism on Iraq -- SKY News
Iraq inquiry 'unravelling Blair deceit' claims SNP -- Scotland

Former British PM Tony Blair Tells All In His Memoirs

Crocodile Tears - And STILL No Apology: Tony Blair's Memoirs Go On Sale Pushing His Self-Serving Justification Of The Iraq War -- The Daily Mail

Tony Blair will today outrage families of victims of the Iraq War by claiming to have shed many tears for the dead.

In his massively-hyped memoir, the former prime minister admits failing to foresee the 'nightmare' that unfolded in the country.

But despite vowing to dedicate his efforts to trying to 'redeem something from the tragedy' he again refuses to apologise for the 2003 invasion.

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More News On Tony Blair's Memoir

Blair's Book: Tell-All Extracts Revealed -- SKY News
Tony Blair: I didn't see Iraq nightmare coming -- The Guardian
Blair 'desperately sorry' for Iraq war deaths: memoirs -- AFP
Blair admits horror of Iraq but no regrets -- Financial Times
Blair Defends `Nightmare' of Invading Iraq as He Says He Wept for the Dead -- Bloomberg
Blair in 'anguish' over Iraq, defends toppling Saddam -- CNN
Blair lied in Irish peace talks -- Sydney Morning Herald
Tony Blair: I knew Gordon Brown would be a disaster -- The Guardian
Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me -- The Telegraph
Finally Tony Blair reveals his side of the feud with Gordon Brown -- The Independent
Tony Blair on Gordon Brown: 'Analytical intelligence, absolutely. Emotional intelligence, zero' -- The Guardian
Tony Blair's book: God, public services and being a liberal -- The Guardian
Blair to head for the US as memoirs are published -- AFP
That 'moral' war cry has a hollow ring -- Daily Mail opinion
Blair's book reads less like a memoir, more like a long memo to his staff -- The Independent opinion
The hatred of Blair is over the top -- The Financial Times opinion

Did Former British PM Tony Blair Profit From The Iraq War?

(Click Above Image To Enlarge)

Blair's Fight To Keep His Oil Cash Secret: Former PM's Deals Are Revealed As His Earnings Since 2007 Reach £20million -- The Daily Mail

Tony Blair waged an extraordinary two-year battle to keep secret a lucrative deal with a multinational oil giant which has extensive interests in Iraq.

The former Prime Minister tried to keep the public in the dark over his dealings with South Korean oil firm UI Energy Corporation.

Mr Blair - who has made at least £20million since leaving Downing Street in June 2007 - also went to great efforts to keep hidden a £1million deal advising the ruling royal family in Iraq's neighbour Kuwait.

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Update: Tony Blair takes on jobs advising South Korean oil firm and Kuwaiti Government -- The Telegraph

My Comment: Tony Blair is not the first politician to profit handsomely after leaving office .... the Clintons amassed over $100 million when they left office, and former VP Gore is in the hundreds of millions range.

What this disclosure is all about is the running civil war within the Labor Party between Tony Blair and present Prime Minister Brown. The fact that this information is now public, I expect greater anger and recriminations between the two factions in the coming days.

Tony Blair At The Iraq Inquiry -- News Roundup

Iraq Inquiry: Tony Blair Had Always Planned To Support US An Any Military Action -- The Telegraph

Tony Blair said that he had always been clear that he would join the Americans if it came to military action to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Making his long-awaited appearance before the Iraq Inquiry, the former prime minister denied he struck a private deal with President George Bush 11 months before the invasion to go to war.

He said he had always been clear publicly that the Iraqi dictator had to be confronted over his supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) but he insisted that he had left open how it should be done.

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Tony Blair is said to have told George Bush ''We are going to be with you' before Britain joined the war in Iraq. Photo from the Daily Mail

More News On Tony Blair And The Iraq Inquiry

Live: Tony Blair at the Chilcot Inquiry - blow-by-blow -- Times Online
Blair offers justification for Iraq war -- Yahoo News/AP
Blair denies any secret deal with Bush in 2002 to invade Iraq -- USA Today
I believed beyond doubt that Iraq had WMD, Tony Blair tells inquiry -- The Guardian
Tony Blair asked about WMD and the 45 minute claim -- BBC
Blair tells inquiry: 9/11 changed risk from WMD -- BBC
Blair says Sept. 11 changed 'calculus of risk' -- CBC
Tony Blair admits Saddam threat was overstated -- Times Online
Blair Testifies at British Inquiry into Iraq War -- Voice of America
Blair Appears Before Iraq Inquiry -- New York Times
Blair Grilled on Iraq War -- Wall Street Journal/AP
Iraq inquiry challenges Government over failure to declassify documents -- Times Online
Families of Iraq war dead voice anger at 'smirking' Blair -- The Guardian
Timeline - Inquiry into the Iraq War -- Reuters

Britain Awaits Blair Testimony On Iraq

From L.A. Times:

The panel looking into Britain's role in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq is to hear former Prime Minister Tony Blair this week. Concerned about his legacy, he has a lot riding on Friday's appearance.

Reporting from London - The hottest ticket in town isn't for Andrew Lloyd Webber's upcoming sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera" or Lady Gaga in concert.

It's for a one-off performance this Friday starring one of the most loved and hated of British celebrities: Tony Blair.

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My Comment: The British Labor Party civil wars continues. This commission has nothing to do with Tony Blair's decision on going to war with the US in Iraq, but everything to do with those in the Labor Party who never forgave him for the direction that he took Britain politically, economically, and internationally during his tenure as the head of the Labor party and as Prime Minister.

Expect fireworks and a lot of shouting when he takes the stand this week.

Tony Blair Calls On World To Wage War On Militant Islam

From Times Online:

Tony Blair has said he does not regret leading Britain to war in Iraq when he was Prime Minister and has called on the world to take on and defeat Islamic extremists. He believes that, without intervention, the problem will continue to grow in countries such as Afghanistan.

He called for a battle to be waged against militant Islam similar to that fought against revolutionary communism.

In an address last night to a forum on religion and politics in Chicago, Mr Blair said that the world today faced a struggle posed by "an extreme and misguided form of Islam", which threatened the majority of Muslims as well as non-Muslims.

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My Comment: Tony Blair is making sense .... but he is not in any position of power. The present leadership .... President Obama included .... have a different view and mission.

Linguist Says US Intelligence Spied On Blair

From The Financial Times:

The US government eavesdropped on Tony Blair while he was British prime minister, according to claims made by a former employee of the National Security Agency.

ABC News on Monday reported that the NSA had eavesdropped on Mr Blair and Ghazi al-Yawer, the first Iraqi president following the 2003 invasion. The White House did not respond to inquiries.

Making the allegations to ABC, David Faulk, a former NSA Arabic linguist who worked for the spy agency at Fort Gordon, Georgia, claimed to have had access to a top secret database called “Anchory” in 2006 that included personal details about Mr Blair.

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