The Blog | Jeremi Suri: Why I Love Tony Blair | The Huffington Post: "...He was not militant; he was thoughtful and passionate.
These very qualities got Blair into trouble in Iraq. He allowed his anger at the terrorists and his loyalty to the United States to blind him to the perils of a preventive war, fought with insufficient forces. Moral vision was not sufficient to occupy and re-make a society as complex as Iraq. Blair's tragic misstep ultimately cost him the prime ministership -- an office he will vacate under a cloud of controversy at the end of June.
We must not, however, lump Blair in with the other misguided interventionists. Unlike Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and others, Blair did not act recklessly. He took a strong and deeply personal stand against what he believed were some of the sources of violence, intolerance, and irrationality in the Middle East. He took a strong and deeply personal stand on behalf of a British-American bond that he described in nearly sacred terms. Despite the consequences, these were courageous positions that deserve respect. Blair tried to offer real leadership, transcending simple phrases and shallow postures..."
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