Blair On Iran: Change Is "Fundamental"

Blair Covers a Wide Range of Issues In An Online Exclusive Interview With Katie Couric

(CBS)  In an online exclusive interview today with Katie Couric, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the change that's happening in Iran is "fundamental."

Blair said, "even if the regime manages to suppress this expression of popular will now, I think its roots have gone down and those will bear fruit again in the future."

Topics discussed in the wide ranging interview include Blair's thoughts on Iraq, the role of new technology in the Iranian protests, President Obama's handling of the situation in Iran, the Middle East, and comprehensive health care.

Blair was asked about Britain's upcoming inquiry about the run up to the Iraq war, and whether these hearings should be made public. Blair said, "I'm questioned about Iraq in public the whole time. I have been for years. But the important thing about the inquiry is it's actually about the lessons learned."

Blair stuck to his guns regarding his support of President Bush and his position on Iraq. He said, "I always made it clear I believed definitively that after September the 11th, we had to take a completely different view of the security threat that we had. And we had to act. And we had to be prepared to stand up and fight for what we believe in."

Blair was asked, via Twitter, if the world's general impression of the U.S. has changed after electing President Obama. He responded, "it's given people a fresh look at America in a different way. That's a positive."
When another Twitter questioner asked about nationalized healthcare, Blair replied, "what most countries around the world are trying to do today is to combine the universal nature of the state run system, with the more flexible, competitive choice based system…"

In response to a question about the financial scandal in his own country, Blair said, "I've learned that anything I say is..taken down and used in evidence against me in terms of interference in UK politics."

Blair served as British Prime Minister for 10 years.


Watch the full interview:


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[nonpolitico]

Americans treat Tony Blair as a hero because he followed GWBs lead in Iraq using excuses and misrepresentation.
He is not a hero to many in Britain who see him as an opportunist. He has feathered his own nest at the expense of the GB taxpayer, whilst extending government into almost all aspects of the lives of Britons.
How would Americans like being told what to eat, how to behave, what was "proper" to say, how to live your lives, how to bring up your own children etc etc.Well, Britain now has regulations covering all of these!!
New Labour has a tendency to the Left, which Americans are unaware of, and seem not to know that the "command economy" style apparent in the old Soviet Union died with it.
Blair is a child of the left, and an opportunist. He took advantage of the aftermath of 9/11 to align himself with an invasion.
Now he talks about the lack of democracy in Iran!!!
People in Britain have been arrested for civil demonstrations,with the right to demonstrate being severely limited thanks to laws introduced by Labour. This contradicts our very British concepts of "innocent until proven guilty" and due process.(which has also been tinkered with to allow more police powers). This at the expense of personal liberty, for we have no written constitution as you have constricting the power of government.
Blair condemns Iran, but himself helped bring in laws limiting the right to protest or demonstrate in Britain.
By all means have Blair on TV with Katy Couric, but remember he has changed British democracy as no other PM before him. Also like George W Bush he allowed his religious views to influence him in a secular parliament.
Good to see his is popular somewhere!! Hope Katy enjoyed her interview.
Blair now has his sights on being (unelected) President of Europe, as he prefers self service to service of his country.
Keep right on interviewing him. That way he will stay on your side of the Atlantic!!

[fuzzyi]

Blah Blah, blair sheep have u any scruples,,,u say this, u say that,,to suit your own agendas...soldiers die, in Iraq and Afghanistan,,,and they will not win those war's,,,cause of all the lies youv'e spun....