Tony Blair Resigns as Middle East Peace Envoy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair resigns from his position as Middle East peace envoy

Tony Blair has resigned from his position as the Quartet's peace envoy to the Middle East after seven years.

The former Prime Minister has been criticised for his dual role as diplomat and businessman.

He will quit the role - which he took up immediately after leaving Downing Street in 2007 - next month.

Sources said that although Mr Blair will no longer represent the Quartet he plans to remain "active on the issues". » | David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Tony Blair 'Had No Credibility' in Middle East Process, Says US Official

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: All sides in Middle East peace process would roll their eyes at mention of Tony Blair's name, US government official involved in talks tells Telegraph

Tony Blair had “no credibility” left with the parties in the Middle East peace process, a former US government official who was closely involved with trying to revive the talks last year has told The Telegraph.

“Frankly all sides just rolled their eyes at the mention of his name,” the official said as it was reported that Mr Blair was being “eased out” of his role as head of so-called Quartet.

Rumours that Mr Blair was being asked to step down have been circulating for some days, but were apparently confirmed on Sunday night by The Financial Times. Mr Blair’s office has declined to comment.

In his role, which he took up in 2007, Mr Blair represented the United States of America, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union as a Middle East peace envoy working with the Palestinians.

But in the last round of failed negotiations which began after John Kerry took over as US secretary of state 2013 and broke down last year, Mr Blair had become “a standing joke”, the official said, speaking last week. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Monday, March 16, 2015

From Billionaire's Yacht Blair Urges Syria Attack, But...This War Monger Is the Very Last Man We Should Listen to

MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair has been having a high old time in Sardinia. Our former Prime Minister — and Special Envoy for the Middle East — was flown to the Mediterranean island in a private jet last Thursday.

He was then whisked to the enormous super-yacht of an American billionaire before visiting two other super-yachts in what was evidently a hectic round of partying and glad-handing. He also managed to squeeze in a few hours in the ‘Eurotrash’ resort of St Tropez on the southern French coast.

Of course, enjoying the hospitality of the super-rich is nothing new for Mr Blair. When he was Prime Minister, and several tens of millions of pounds poorer than he is today, he habitually holidayed with his family in the villas of multi-millionaires.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr Blair has been able to refine his latest thoughts about Syria, which surfaced in yesterday’s Times newspaper. Surprise, surprise, he is strongly in favour of taking action. Since he does not draw any distinction between bombing and invading the country, we may assume he is in favour of both.

Given his record as a warmonger, one might have expected him to tread carefully. He doesn’t.

What is extraordinary is that he does not merely urge what appears to be maximum force. He also sounds eerily like the old Tony Blair, who finagled this country into a disastrous war in Iraq. Read on and comment » | Stephen Glover | Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Dispatches: The Wonderful World of Tony Blair
Since resigning in June 2007 Tony Blair has financially enriched himself more than any ex-Prime Minister ever. Reporter Peter Oborne reveals some of the sources of his new-found wealth, much of which comes from the Middle East.

On the day Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister, he was appointed the official representative Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East. By January 2009 he had set up Tony Blair Associates - his international consultancy - which handles multi-million pound contracts in the Middle East.

It is so secretive we don't know all the locations they do business in. Dispatches shows that at the same time as Blair is visiting Middle East leaders in his Quartet role he is receiving vast sums from some of them. If Blair represented the UK government, the EU, the IMF, the UN or the World Bank, this would not be permitted.

Watch the programme here
Related »

Blair Urged to 'Reconsider' Job
BBC: Lord Levy has told the BBC he thinks Tony Blair should consider whether to continue his job as an envoy for the Middle East Quartet.

The former prime minister's ally said he should examine if he had "the time and tools" to help the peace process.

Lord Levy, the former prime minister's representative to the region, was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster programme.

He said he should think about what his role was "precisely" going to be.

Asked if he thought Mr Blair should step down, Lord Levy said: "As a friend I would say to him, do you feel you have the time, do you feel you have the tools, to really make a difference in this arena?

"And if you do, then what are you going to do and how are you going to go about it?"

Lord Levy said if there were not enough "ticks in all those boxes" he would advise someone else should take over.

Mr Blair has been criticised for trying to combine business roles, speechmaking and work with his faith foundation with trying to resolve the dispute. >>> | Saturday, March 7, 2009

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