Kick start
- 1 Nov 06, 09:31 AM
The most intriguing story of the day is on . Tony Blair has sent his foreign affairs adviser Sir Nigel Sheinwold to have talks in Syria.
The prime minister is clearly ignoring the old motto "once bitten twice shy". You may recall his historic visit to Damascus to visit the then new President Assad shortly after 9/11. I do. I was there () and will never forget hearing the man who'd been hailed in advance as a potential ally in the war against terror condemning the bombing of Afghanistan and hailing Palestinian suicide bombers as resistance fighters in the traditition of General De Gaulle.
The key to this Syrian visit is the prime minister's determination to kick start talks about Middle East peace. Hopelessly optimistic some say. Even some on his own staff are bemused by his zeal for what they fear is a hopeless cause. Yet, he was greeted surprisingly warmly on his recent visit to both the Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. He also believes that the logic of a two state solution is accepted on all sides. He will, no doubt, see today's news of as a portent that better times may lay ahead. He is determined to visit the region again soon.
It's just one reason, incidentally, why there's no sign at the moment of him wanting to leave office any earlier than he has been forced to already.
PS. If you didn't see my colleague John Simpson's interview with President Assad from a couple of weeks ago, it's worth watching - and you can see it here.
