Clinton backs Blair at British book launch

BRITAIN: Former US president Bill Clinton yesterday backed British Prime Minister Tony Blair's stance over war in Iraq, describing…

BRITAIN: Former US president Bill Clinton yesterday backed British Prime Minister Tony Blair's stance over war in Iraq, describing it as a "terrible position" to be in.

Mr Clinton said Mr Blair was trying to satisfy the United Nations, Europe and the US all at once. He also said the public should take that into account when judging the Prime Minister. Mr Clinton, on a book promotion tour to Britain, was speaking on Channel 4's Richard and Judy show, to be broadcast this evening.

He said: "What he was trying to do was to preserve the integrity of the UN resolution, the unity of Europe and the transatlantic alliance and in the end it became impossible to do all three.

"Blair didn't want to revert to the German/French position, and he didn't want to take the position that we all do it and trash the UN," he said.