Blair Faces Challenges As Mideast Envoy | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

re: "LONDON (AP) - Among the biggest challenges Tony Blair will face in his new role as Middle East envoy is Arab anger over the wars in Iraq and Lebanon, and perceptions that he speaks for President Bush. /Blair overcame his last hurdle to clinching the job Wednesday when Russia dropped objections and joined the rest of the ``Quartet'' of peace mediators in announcing his appointment. The Quartet also includes the United States, the European Union and the U.N. /``Even our moderate Arab allies say that Mr. Blair's credibility in the region is in pieces'' and that he ``merely parrots the U.S. line while privately wringing his hands,'' The Daily Mirror wrote in an editorial Wednesday. /It added that former President Clinton would have been a more sensible choice. /Throughout his 10 years as Britain's prime minister, Blair was an interventionist, with largely positive results in Kosovo and Libya. Perhaps his most remarkable diplomatic achievement was helping bring peace and democratic self-rule to Northern Ireland, a dispute that had confounded many other British leaders. /But leading the push for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a challenge of a different magnitude, especially because his reputation is tainted in Arab eyes by his unflinching support for invading Iraq..."...