Blair congratulates Bush
2004-11-04 07:56
London - British Prime Minister Tony Blair warmly congratulated newly re-elected United States President George W Bush on Wednesday, saying he hoped the "unique bond" between their two countries would prosper over the next four years.
But Blair also served notice that he plans to pressure his Iraq war ally over the Middle East during Bush's second term, calling peace in that region "the single most pressing political challenge in our world".
Speaking at Downing Street just after Bush gave his formal acceptance speech, Blair said he had spoken both to the American president and failed challenger John Kerry by phone.
"I congratulated President Bush on his victory, and said to Senator Kerry that I thought he fought an outstanding campaign and helped make the election a true celebration of American democracy," Blair said.
Strengthening the bond
"It is an important part of our own British national interest that the British prime minister protect and strengthen the bond between our two countries," Blair continued, calling this link between the nations "unique".
The US vote was the first since the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11 2001, and since Blair staked his popularity and premiership on joining Bush in the "war on terror" and in Iraq.
Blair, who has a likely election campaign himself next year, faces criticism that the so-called "special relationship" between London and Washington is a one-way affair, and that his backing for Bush has not been reciprocated in areas such as the Middle East.
Middle East peace was "the single most pressing political challenge in our world", said Blair, making clear that he saw the suffering of the Palestinians as a factor behind support for Islamist terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.
"We must be relentless in our war against terrorism, and in resolving the conditions and causes on which the terrorists prey," Blair said, adding that everyone "should work with President Bush on this agenda".
The British premier added that he would work to heal the rifts caused by the Iraq war, arguing: "Europe and America must build anew their alliance".
Al-Qaeda will keep growing
"All of us in positions of leadership, not just President Bush, have a responsibility to rise to this challenge. It is urgent that we do so," he said.
Former international development minister Clare Short, who quit the government following the Iraq war, spoke for many Labour MPs in expressing grave disappointment at Bush's win.
"I think it means that the Middle East will go on being bloody and violent, al-Qaeda will continue to grow, Iraq a quagmire, no progress in the settlement of Israel-Palestine, the UN weakened, lack of attention to poverty in Africa and global warming - a bad time for the world," she told Channel Four News.