Ayoon Wa Azan (Bush's Poodle), by Jihad el-Khazen, in Dar Al-Hayat, September, 2006.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to resign within a year. I want him to resign today. Had he resigned yesterday, it would have been better.

There are many reasons for the revolt against Blair from within and without the Labour Party. The atrocious Israeli war on Lebanon, however, was the straw that broke the camel's back. It broke his political career in Britain.

As an Arab, I am not the only one who holds this view. The New York Times and the Washington Post have the same opinion. The US was fully responsible for involving Britain in the war on Iraq, and then in the rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon in spite of the exaggerated Israeli response.

All these incidents made Blair's closest aides revolt against him, including government ministers and under-secretaries. The opinion of the US press about Blair's forthcoming end is far more lenient than mine. However, mine remains more lenient than the opinion of some British people about their premier who, attaching himself to a US imperialist policy that wants to subjugate the whole world, not only the Middle East, destroyed his political legacy.

Renowned British writer John Pilger wrote an article entitled 'The Real Threat We Face in Britain Is Blair', in which he mocked allegations of 'terrorist cells' and the threat to civil aviation. He accused Blair of being afraid of illusory terrorism. He blames him for about 100,000 civilian deaths in Iraq. He charged Blair with knowing about Israel's plan to attack Lebanon in advance and agreed on plans to strike Iran.

Pilger reminded his readers that "in 2001, the Israeli press disclosed that he had secretly given the 'green light' to Sharon's bloody invasion of the West Bank". The result of this policy against Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq was the spread of anger among British Muslims.

We are not the only party who are angry, though. In the latest opinion poll in Britain, 73% said that the Blair government's policies increased the threat of terror to Britain, while 62% said that British policy must break up with the US in order to decrease the threat of terror. Scores of former ministers, politicians, writers and artists signed an open message to Blair warning him of the dangers and mistakes of his policies.

I personally cannot understand Blair's relationship with US President George Bush. While nobody denies that Blair is intelligent, there is consensus that Bush is stupid to the extent that a right wing television show discussed his stupidity. Still, the intelligent Prime Minister backed a stupid policy that increased the threat of terror worldwide, while he claimed he was fighting it, and spread hatred of Britain as well as the US. Tony Blair was supposed to have some ethics, but he supported all the Israeli crimes against the Palestinians and the Lebanese, merely because they were supported by the neo-conservative US administration. I almost believed once that Blair hated Arabs and Muslims deep in his heart and that he supported US policy simply because it was against them. However, I cannot find evidence to support this opinion, because I find no logical reason for Blair's slavish subordination to Bush. It has reached an extent that Blair's nickname is 'Bush's poodle'.

Sarcasm, not opposition, is the worst thing a politician can face. A few days ago, I saw a caricature of Blair in which he says "I am not Bush's Poodle, but Rupert Murdoch's Poodle" in reference to the Australian-turned-American media tycoon, who owns "The Times' and 'Fox News' in addition to several hundred other media organizations worldwide. Blair had given Bush a woolen pullover as a gift. I saw a British cartoon in which Blair opens a gift box from Bush to find a dog leash!

Still with cartoons; there was a funny one of Blair holding on to the door of his official headquarters with his hands and feet because he does not want to leave it. This could be a reference to his clinging to office despite increased opposition. It seems that the British Prime Minister has Arab origins!

Blair's mistakes are too dangerous to be depicted in caricature. They were fatal, or they killed many of us. John Kampfner wrote a cover story in the 'New Statesman' entitled 'Blood on His Hands'. In this article, Kampfiner says Blair did not stop the Israeli attack on Lebanon, of which he had prior knowledge, because he did not want to. This makes him an accomplice to the Israeli crime. This has also "stripped (the UK) of influence across vast stretches of the world" and exposed the British people to danger. Last week, 19 British nationals were killed in many areas, from Iraq to Afghanistan. Even in Jordan a British tourist was killed. My questions are: Why are British nationals killed in Iraq and elsewhere? How did subordination to the Bush administration affect Britain in general and Blair in particular?

The only result was that Arabs and Muslims linked the two States together, which makes it easier for terrorists. The US-British (Blair) policy is like a recruitment centre for terrorists. While I condemn and refuse any excuse for terrorism in general, I also condemn the policy of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and confess that I am happy because he is humiliated. He once deceived me, making me think of him as a politician of rare calibre who is humane and ethical. I discovered after his nine years in office that he is far worse than others because he is a skillful deceiver.

I leave the final word on Blair to former US President Jimmy Carter, who said in an interview with a British newspaper last week that he was "surprised and extremely disappointed" by Blair's lack of leadership and his subordination to George Bush."

He added: "I think that more than any other person in the world, the Prime Minister could have had a moderating influence on Washington - and he has not."

Because he has not, he is now paying the price.

http://www.j-khazen.blogspot.com/

Acknowledgement to Dar Al-Hayat.