Tony Blair Accused of Conflict of Interests in Middle East

Tony Blair. Rumours are circulating in London and Cairo
of plans to advise the Egyptian government under
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

THE GUARDIAN: Critics unite to demand his sacking as Quartet's envoy as evidence emerges of his private business interests expanding in region

Iraq's latest bloody crisis and its links to the 2003 war brought Tony Blair back into the headlines this week, along with calls for him to step down as a Middle East peace envoy – but new evidence has emerged that his private business interests in the ever-volatile region are expanding.

Aides to the former prime minister confirmed that he was actively considering opening an office in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is in the frontline of the struggle against political Islam. But a spokesperson denied suggestions by a leading Arab economist that he was being considered for a job advising Oman on its long-term development, after his controversial £27m consultancy project for the Kuwaiti government in recent years.

Retired diplomats and political enemies united to demand Blair be sacked as the envoy of the Quartet – the UN, US, Russia and EU – after achieving little to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace in seven years. Read on and comment » | Ian Black and Patrick Kingsley | Friday, June 27, 2014