WASHINGTON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has announced his retirement amid declining British support for the war in Iraq, said at the White House yesterday that if he could do it all over again, he would still stand with President Bush and back the war.
Pointing to recent extremist attacks in Morocco, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Blair said extremists "are trying to disrupt progress" around the world and that "the harder they fight, the more determined" the allies must be. "This is a fight we can't afford to lose," he said.
British reporters peppered Blair with questions about whether he is still relevant. Finally, Bush, who has had no better ally in world politics than Blair, came to the prime minister's defense.
"You're trying to do a tap dance on his political grave," Bush admonished British reporters. "You don't understand how effective Tony Blair is." Calling him a respected leader, Bush noted, "When we're in a room, people listen."
Bush said that unlike "blowhards in the political process . . . people who have got something fancy to say," Blair "actually follows through. He is absolutely the right guy for me to be dealing with."
In a picturesque Rose Garden setting with a display of American and British flags behind them, the two leaders discussed a range of issues, from global warming to an Iranian nuclear threat.
As for the relationship between them, Blair said the current climate in Europe makes it easy to score political points by attacking America. "You can get a round of applause if you attack the president," said Blair.
But Blair said that, when the political winds shift , "when all of that is cleared away, the battle . . . is still going on." He also said, "You don't win those battles by being a fair-weather friend."
Bush said that he will miss Blair but will work with Britain's next leader, Gordon Brown. "This relationship is one that is vital," he said, adding that US-British ties have "enabled the free world to do hard things." Pointing to Blair, Bush added, "The world needs courage. This man is a courageous man."