President Bush: Prime Minister Tony Blair has "cojones" (balls)

Prime Minister Tony Blair became known as Bush's poodle as a result of his unquestioned support for the preemptive war against Iraq. I have often wonderd why the PM could be such an enthusiastic supporter for a war that was opposed by a majority in his own Labour Party.

This article in today's Guardian provides some insights into Blair's behavior during the months leading up to the war. The article is based on a book by Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to Washington at the time. He was in a unique position to observe the Bush/Blair relationship.

Sir Christopher says the PM and his team were "seduced" by the proximity and glamour of US power and reluctant to negotiate conditions with George Bush for Britian's support of the war.

Sir Christopher recalls a conversation with Scooter Libby who told him "we were the only ally that counted." He recalls how Bush told the inner circle at a US-British summit at Camp David in 2002 that the Prime Minister had "cojones" (balls).

George Bush had balls. Tony Blair had balls. As a result we got a war that caused world-wide resentment towards the United States and resulted in the deaths to thousands of our young man and women. So much for "cojones."