THE RISK in having Blair do this is that his prominence and high regard (at least, outside of Britain) is actually a problem at the moment.

Condi is playing a similar role, and there the problem is more transparent. She is prominent and highly regarded, but in the end like all the cabinet she defends her ‘pile’, her ‘silo’, her portfolio. Her success as a diplomat has begun to undermine the vital importance of the SecDef.

Gates needs to STEP UP. His time has come, and Iran must be confronted, and I don’t mean diplomacy. Condi’s time-window has almost closed, and no matter how charming she is, it auspicious for her to take a pause.

This is the problem with having Blair doing his own ‘witch project’. He’s distracting at at time when punctate focus is vital.

I hear eager soundings from the dogs of war…

Pro Patria