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Blair on surprise visit to Iraq Blair on surprise visit to Iraq
(about 1 hour later)
Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit to Iraq. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit.
He is holding talks with senior members of the government as part of a tour of the Middle East, which began in Turkey. He is holding talks with Iraq's prime minister and president as part of a tour of the Middle East.
He has also been to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He has also been to Turkey and to Egypt for talks with President Hosni Mubarak.
Mr Blair said earlier that the region faces a "critical moment of decision". Mr Blair said earlier that the region faced a "critical moment of decision".
Resolving the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians was crucial to stability, he said.Resolving the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians was crucial to stability, he said.
Speaking on his trip to Cairo yesterday, Mr Blair said it was important that the international community offered support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The prime minister's Iraq trip comes amid reports that gunmen wearing police uniforms had kidnapped dozens of people after storming a branch of the Red Crescent in central Baghdad.
It also follows calls from Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki for former members of Saddam Hussein's army to return to the military.
Talks
Mr Blair is expected to discuss plans to hand over the last two British-controlled provinces to local authorities in talks with Mr Maliki and President Jalal Talabani.
Ministers hope the handover will be completed by the spring.
Baghdad is the third stop on Mr Blair's Middle East tour during which he hopes to kick-start the peace process.
We recognise that for any government facing the challenges that there are in Iraq, they are huge, and the prime minister wants to show his support Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman
He flew to Baghdad from the Egyptian capital Cairo where he said it was important that the international community offered support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr Blair said the president needed help to build his authority and his ability to raise Palestinian living standards.Mr Blair said the president needed help to build his authority and his ability to raise Palestinian living standards.
We can't be constructive if that's the way they [Iran] are playing things Tony Blair After arriving in Baghdad by RAF Hercules transport plane, the prime minister was taken to the heavily-protected Green Zone by helicopter.
Hailing the president's call for early elections in the Palestinian territories, Mr Blair said: "What it shows is the desire of the Palestinian president to improve the lot of his people, who are suffering in a terrible way and have been for a long period of time." Situation 'difficult'
He also said the president had worked hard to try to bring about a unity government. Mr Blair last visited the country six months ago and BBC correspondent Andrew North said he will find it in a worse situation.
President Abbas believes early elections may defuse rising tensions between Hamas and Fatah. Sectarian violence is currently claiming as many as 100 lives a day and last month's report by the Iraq Study Group, led by former US secretary of state James Baker, described the situation in Iraq as "grave and deteriorating".
However, Mr Blair offered words of warning on the prospect of an increased role for Iran in the region. Aides said Mr Blair wanted to offer his support for Mr Maliki and his government.
But the prime minister's official spokesman said that Mr Blair recognised that the situation was "very difficult".
"We recognise that for any government facing the challenges that there are in Iraq, they are huge, and the prime minister wants to show his support," he said.
Handover plans
Mr Blair will discuss the progress of Operation Sinbad, in which British and Iraqi troops have been scouring the neighbourhoods of the city of Basra to clear them of insurgents ready for the handover to Iraqi authorities.
Speaking earlier in Cairo, Mr Blair offered words of warning on the prospect of an increased role for Iran in the region.
He accused Iran of wanting to "derail" peace prospects and said it was "difficult to see" how it could be a constructive player in the region.He accused Iran of wanting to "derail" peace prospects and said it was "difficult to see" how it could be a constructive player in the region.
Bleak prospects And speaking in the Turkish capital Ankara, Mr Blair had said nothing was more important in the Middle East and the rest of the world than the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Mr Blair said: "It is up to Iran to decide. If Iran wants to reach out, we are there.
"But if what they are going to do is undermine the government in Iraq, the government in Lebanon, the Palestinian authority in Palestine, what can we do? We can't be constructive if that's the way they are playing things."
Speaking earlier in the Turkish capital Ankara, Mr Blair said nothing was more important in the Middle East and the rest of the world than the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Referring to recent violence, Mr Blair said: "As you can see from the events of the last 24 hours, the next few days or weeks are a critical moment of decision for this whole process."
We have just swapped the icy cold of the central Turkish plain for the dusty heat of north Africa BBC correspondent James Landale Middle East tour diaryWe have just swapped the icy cold of the central Turkish plain for the dusty heat of north Africa BBC correspondent James Landale Middle East tour diary
He believes the most important thing is to establish "a fully functioning authority" which will "start to create the structures on the Palestinian side that then allow a negotiation for peace with Israel to go forward".He believes the most important thing is to establish "a fully functioning authority" which will "start to create the structures on the Palestinian side that then allow a negotiation for peace with Israel to go forward".
Worsening violence was a reason for going there, not for staying away, he said. The prime minister also said he was a "strong supporter" of Turkey's bid to join the European Union.
Mr Blair added: "If we don't get a new sense of urgency and movement in this situation, it will continue to go backwards and the suffering of the Palestinian people and the implications for the region and for the security of Israel are dreadful."
Meanwhile, the prime minister also said he was a "strong supporter" of Turkey's bid to join the European Union.
He said it could play an important role as part of an "arc of moderation" in the Muslim world and as a bridge between Europe and the region.He said it could play an important role as part of an "arc of moderation" in the Muslim world and as a bridge between Europe and the region.
His counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he was committed to finding a solution to the conflict.
Mr Blair also praised Turkey's leadership and said the country's membership was also "of fundamental importance to the future of Europe".
Mr Blair will also go to Israel, the Palestinian territories and the United Arab Emirates during his visit.Mr Blair will also go to Israel, the Palestinian territories and the United Arab Emirates during his visit.