[vinnieponte]

If only dubya could open his eyes and jump on with Blair. Seems more and more countries are starting to realize the mistake they made by going along with dubya and his lies. And I know all you republicans will rip Blair apart which is the funniest thing, seeing how you guys have been holding his hand and preaching about him this whole time, since he was americas best friend since the war started. And I can guarantee that he wont be re-elected!


Blair hopes Iraq elections will give British exit strategy

Thu Jan 27, 6:11 AM ET Mideast - AFP


LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who lost credibility for joining the US-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, may find Iraq's general elections offer him an exit strategy, analysts say.

Iraq has haunted Blair for months.


In the last few days, the trial of three British soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi civilians has put him against the ropes while he attempts to concentrate on domestic policy ahead of general elections expected in May.


Despite the ongoing violence, Blair has vigorously defended plans to go ahead with Iraq's elections on Sunday for an assembly that will draft a new constitution.


"It's an exit strategy. It's getting out without appearing to have lost," British political analyst Paul Whiteley told AFP. "They (the British government) want a reasonably stable government so they can leave."


Last week, the Daily Telegraph said London had pushed Washington to establish a timetable for the pullout of troops from Iraq.


Blair did not give any firm dates for bringing home some 9,000 British troops, but said London and Washington would have a better idea of when to withdraw after the vote on Sunday.


"Both ourselves and the Iraqis want us to leave as soon as possible," Blair told the Financial Times. "The question is what is 'as soon as possible'. And the answer to that is: when the Iraqi forces have the capability to do the job."


Rosemary Hollis, who heads the Middle East studies department at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, said "the election is opening the way forward, they don't have any other way forward."


She said "they've got themselves in a very difficult situation" as the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and neighboring countries are in no position to assume the burden of restoring stability to Iraq.


If the elections are successful, they will help justify the invasion in the name of promoting democracy, according to George Jones, a veteran analyst at the London School of Economics.


A poll on Tuesday showed that 47 percent of Britons are opposed to the war in Iraq, which has claimed the lives of 76 British troops.

"It will affect the way some people vote in the general election," according to Wyn Grant, a political scientist at Warwick University.


British Muslims, for example, have not forgiven Blair's decision to join the occupation of Iraq.


"They will either abstain or switch to the Liberal Democrats or the Greens or whatever," he said.


"The Iraqi elections are central to the government's ability to find some way out. They are not central to the domestic debate" in the run-up to the elections in Britain, Grant said.

Between now and then, he hopes to make people forget Iraq and revive his standing with events like a conference on the Palestinian question, which is scheduled for early March in London.

Hollis said Labour backbenchers "feeling bruised over Iraq, say he'd better do something about Palestine."