UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in Washington for talks with President George W Bush on building an international coalition for possible military action against Baghdad. The two leaders are holding three hours of discussions at the US president's retreat, Camp David, to discuss what can be done to stop Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from developing and using weapons of mass destruction. But while the UK Government has said the military option must not be ruled out, Mr Blair is also expected to urge Mr Bush to work through the United Nations Security Council to secure backing for tough action. And two other key European leaders, French President Jacques Chirac and Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, have reaffirmed their opposition to a "unilateral US attack" on Iraq, after talks in Hanover.
Blair has been a consistent surprise to me. I'd pegged him as a Brit Bill Clinton, only with his zipper up, until 9-11. |