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Blair tries to Bolster Palestinian-Israeli Peace Talks

English Prime Minister Tony Blair is not keen to be remembered as the premiere that left his country?s troops in the mess known as the Iraqi war. In an attempt to save his image, Blair embarked on a trip to the Middle Eastern capitals in a bid to get Israeli and Palestinian leaders to revive failing peace talks. Blair?s trip began in Ankara, Turkey and he will also visit Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority to meet Israeli President Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

One of the main aims of Blair?s visit is to try and mediate an agreement between the two faction groups in Palestinian leadership ? the Hamas and the Fatah. The Palestinian Authority is presently led by Hamas ? a terror organization that refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist. Many feel that the Palestinians are on the brink of a civil war as both groups vie for power in the region. Blair has called on the international community to strengthen Abbas who is considered a moderate in comparison to the militant Hamas group.

Blair is trying to direct a strategy whereby moderate Muslim countries could be lured more in the direction of the west to diffuse a possible future confrontation with Iran. Blair is stepping down from power in 2007 after a decade of leadership and he hopes that his legacy will be one of regional peace in the Middle East after sending more than 7000 UK troops to fight in Iraq.