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Blair hardens line on Israel after cabinet criticism
Tony Blair yesterday responded to a growing backbench and cabinet revolt over his handling of the Middle East crisis by saying the Qana bombing showed that a peace agreement must be reached.
Mr Blair has been under mounting internal criticism for refusing to endorse calls for an immediate unconditional ceasefire or to condemn the Israeli bombing as disproportionate.
He has instead focused on securing a UN resolution to deploy a multinational force in southern Lebanon.
"What happened at Qana shows this situation simply cannot continue," he said last night. "This is an absolutely tragic situation, but we have got to make sure the discussions we are having and the negotiations we are conducting does lead to a genuine cessation of hostilities."
Downing Street slapped down the former foreign secretary Jack Straw, who at the weekend condemned Israeli action as disproportionate and likely to undermine support across the Middle East.
Mr Blair's spokesman denied a cabinet revolt over his handling of the issue, although cabinet sources said there was widespread concern that the prime minister's position leaves the government open to the charge that it is indifferent to the suffering of the Lebanese people.
Some cabinet members pointed out that Mr Straw, the leader of the house, had not voiced concerns in last week's cabinet meeting.
More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1833961,00.html
He has instead focused on securing a UN resolution to deploy a multinational force in southern Lebanon.
"What happened at Qana shows this situation simply cannot continue," he said last night. "This is an absolutely tragic situation, but we have got to make sure the discussions we are having and the negotiations we are conducting does lead to a genuine cessation of hostilities."
Downing Street slapped down the former foreign secretary Jack Straw, who at the weekend condemned Israeli action as disproportionate and likely to undermine support across the Middle East.
Mr Blair's spokesman denied a cabinet revolt over his handling of the issue, although cabinet sources said there was widespread concern that the prime minister's position leaves the government open to the charge that it is indifferent to the suffering of the Lebanese people.
Some cabinet members pointed out that Mr Straw, the leader of the house, had not voiced concerns in last week's cabinet meeting.
More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1833961,00.html
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Tony Blair was condemned yesterday for failing to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, despite mounting public fury about his stance fuelled by outrage at the bombing in Qana.
The Prime Minister, in San Francisco, stuck to his position of demanding a UN resolution as protesters across the country took to the streets to express their anger at the Israeli military action in the Lebanon.
In Westminster, there was evidence of a widening cabinet rift over Britain's approach to the conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border, with some Labour figures warning that the row over Mr Blair's stance was increasing the pressure for him to stand down.
Breaking off from his US trip, the Prime Minister said the violence could not continue. He said: "There is the basis for an agreement that will allow us to get a UN resolution, but we have to get this now. We have to speed this entire process up and get a resolution now and on the passing and agreement and passing of that resolution hostilities have got to stop and stop on all sides.
"This is an absolutely tragic situation but we have got to make sure that the discussions we are having and the negotiations we are conducting does lead to a genuine cessation of hostilities in a way that allows us to put an end to them for good."
His comments were not warmly received by anti-war protesters and some critics within his own party, with Blairites warning that his stance over the conflict meant he was bleeding support among MPs.
One normally loyal MP said: "Mr Blair is struggling on this. There are certainly loyalists saying he has got this completely wrong. This is the straw that broke the camel's back." Another loyalist added: "For Blair himself, this is seriously bad".
One backbencher added: "There are a lot of people not the usual suspects deeply concerned that there seems to be no demonstrable evidence that Britain is having a moderating influence on Israel."
More
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1205996.ece