Blair Lays Low During Iraq Anniversary

[Miss Authoritiva]

Sunday March 21, 09:54 AM

Blair lays low during Iraq anniversary

While US President George W. Bush used the anniversary of the Iraq war to drum up electoral support, his closest ally in the conflict, Tony Blair, has looked very much like someone who wishes the whole thing would just go away.

The British prime minister has been conspicuous by his absence from any event marking the beginning of the conflict to remove Saddam Hussein one year ago, a war he tried unflaggingly to sell to a sceptical British public.

While tens of thousands took to the streets of London to protest at the occupation of Iraq on Saturday, Blair laid low.

This was in stark contrast to Bush, who told cheering crowds in Florida during his first official campaign rally that the United States was "proud to lead the armies of liberation".

Such has been the political damage meted out to Blair over Iraq that British newspapers were on Sunday openly debating when -- not if -- he could find himself ejected from power.

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040321/1/3ixaq.html