World media on Blair's Iraq legacy

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Blair gets mixed reaction on leaving

Media outlets around the world assess the decade-long rule of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, with many applauding his achievements but condemning his decision to take part in the war on Iraq.

While several pay tribute to Mr Blair for being "a breath of fresh air" and for bringing about a "revolution" in the Labour Party, many feel that the issue of Iraq overshadows all this, with one Middle Eastern paper saying he should be tried for war crimes.

<center>MIDDLE EAST</center>

EDITORIAL IN PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI

Britons will always remember Blair as the man who misled them and made their country dependent on a reckless US president who waged destructive and unsuccessful wars... Blair must stand before court as a war criminal to answer for many crimes such as turning Iraq into a mass grave.

HUSAM ITTANI IN LEBANON'S AL-SAFIR

In Britain, Tony Blair leaves his post as prime minister with a very mixed record. In addition to achievements like the peace process in Ireland, the forming of a Scottish parliament and an assembly in Wales... Blair devotedly continued Thatcherist policies in the social and economic fields and in deepening Britain's loyalty to the USA to the extent that any independent British political role in the world disappeared.

RAFIQ KHURI IN LEBANON'S AL-ANWAR

He is the one who said that a radical decision is usually the correct one, the correct decision is usually the most difficult and the most difficult is usually the least popular. This time he took the correct decision but it is the most difficult for him personally.

FORMER MERETZ LEADER YOSSI SARID IN ISRAEL'S HAARETZ

Blair not only joined George W Bush in the war on Iraq, he also took part in all the president's lies. As Israelis we have no reason to regret Blair's premature departure. He showered us and the Palestinians with promises of his personal commitment to seek a solution to the conflict, but here, too, he followed Bush, the turkey, like a lame duck.

COMMENTATOR ON IRANIAN RADIO

If Gordon Brown were to quickly pull out British forces from Iraq, there is a slim possibility that public opinion towards his party would be favourable again. Security in Britain was also adversely affected because of Tony Blair's radical foreign policies. Public opinion expects Brown to make changes in this respect as well.

In view of the 10-year tenure of Blair as the prime minister and the relative popularity gained by the Conservative Party... Brown will face a difficult task creating unity and returning confidence to the Labour Party.

<center>EUROPE</center>

BERNARD GUETTA ON FRANCE INTER RADIO

He broke with a historical continuity which had become sclerotic, abandoned the state socialism dogmas of his party, which he freed from trade union supervision... This is the revolution carried out by Tony Blair... Tony Blair has rejuvenated the European left. There remains Iraq, which cost him all his popularity. There remain several scandals and an overly consummate art of political marketing but the word "Blairism" was not coined for nothing.

EDITORIAL IN FRANCE'S LIBERATION

Iraq completely spoilt the achievements of Blairism. Too bad for the outgoing prime minister, who repeatedly made mistakes and told lies. But if we set aside this sad venture, the French left would be delighted to be able to point to results comparable to those of the hated Labour politician.

EDITORIAL IN SPAIN'S LA RAZON

Tony Blair is the politician who managed to free his own party of the ideological burdens of the past. The Iraq war has ended up taking its toll but Blair ends on a high: the end of Northern Irish terrorism - a brilliant close for the star of a prodigious decade.

EDITORIAL IN SPAIN'S EL PAIS

Blair's greatest contribution has been to achieve peace and impose it firmly and patiently in Northern Ireland. He has also been a great reformist, not only in the economy but above all in politics. The shadow of Iraq will haunt him forever.

EDITORIAL IN SPAIN'S ABC

By recognizing that the result of that decision [on Iraq] may have disappointed many, Blair was probably admitting that he himself counts himself among the millions of people who wonder if it was worth the effort. Apart from that matter, Blair achieved most of his goals.

SAMI KOHEN IN TURKEY'S MILLIYET

Blair leaving is a serious loss for Turkey... His active support for Turkey's EU membership will not be forgotten.

<center>RUSSIA</center>

NATALIYA PORTYAKOVA IN RUSSIA'S KOMMERSANT

After the scandal that erupted last year over the sale of peerages by Labour and the continuing fall in the party's popularity over participation in the Iraq war... it was important for Blair to be remembered for good things and that is why his resignation announcement came immediately after the government of Northern Ireland got down to work, thanks, to a great extent, to Tony Blair.

ZURAB NALBANDYAN IN MOSKOVSKIY KOMSOMOLETS

Although Tony Blair was the most successful leader in the Labour Party's history... there are mixed feelings... the collapse of the pension system, a fall in the quality of medical care. And of course, the war in Iraq, which divided the country and drew Britain into a long military adventure without a clear plan.

COMMENTARY ON RUSSIA'S VESTI TV

During his time in the post of prime minister Blair has been indirectly involved in more than one scandal... but Blair never lost his composure. Like a British footballer, after being hit in the legs he would quickly get back on his feet and continue to play his own game, understandable perhaps only to Tony Blair himself.

<center>CHINA</center>

WANG HUI IN CHINA YOUTH DAILY

During Blair's 10 years of rule, Britain ushered in the longest period of economic prosperity after World War II. Moreover, Blair also led the Northern Ireland parties to sign a peace agreement in 1998... However, due to the negative influence of the Iraq war, Blair's hard work over 10 years was wasted.

LE TIAN IN CHINA DAILY

There were triumphs for Blair: three consecutive election victories, a booming economy and diplomacy that brought peace to Northern Ireland. But his decade of achievements has been overtaken by the shadows of the war in Iraq.

YANG FANG IN CHINA DAILY

Blair tried to raise the UK's falling reputation on the international stage but what he did made him controversial as a prime minister, particularly taking Britain into the Iraq war.

QIN ZHILAI ON WEBPORTAL ZHONGGUO WANG

Blair thinks his resignation can distance Labour from the aftermath of the Iraq war, but this is just wishful thinking. Nor can this automatically establish a new international image for Britain... Britain's new prime minister must seriously deal with the relationship with the United States.

LIU MING IN ZHONGGUO WANG Blair was like a breath of fresh air in the British political arena. He blew away social problems caused by the free market... Perhaps soon, the British will miss this Labour prime minister who brought dynamic youthful optimism.

EDITORIAL IN HONG KONG'S MING PAO

If he had not attacked Iraq, he could have left a perfect record but Iraq made Blair lose everything, including his record of unprecedented economic prosperity in Britain under his rule. History has been cruel to Blair.

LO FUNG IN HONG KONG'S APPLE DAILY

Leaving aside the success or failure of the Iraq war, Blair's decision to send troops to help the US to attack Iraq was a correct decision... Sticking to one's guns is an essential factor for any important or outstanding leader. Blair is the embodiment of this kind of quality and this kind of courage!

EDITORIAL IN HONG KONG'S SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Whatever Mr Blair's successes or failings, there can be no doubting his democratic principles but when a leader has overstayed his or her time in office, it is time to step aside.

CHU WEI-HUI ON HONG KONG-BASED PHOENIX TV

Blair's economic policies not only pushed up Britain's employment rate but he also succeeded in enhancing Britain's image internationally - although particularly in Europe.

Blair found himself duty-bound to support the US-led war on Iraq since it was crucial to Britain's national interests - further consolidation of the UK-US relationship... On the Iraqi issue, Blair just sacrificed himself for the sake of safeguarding Britain's national interests. Any British leader, regardless of which political party he belongs to, would have done exactly the same as Blair.

<center>AFRICA </center>

SOUTH AFRICA'S CAPE TIMES

His legacy will be tarnished by his support for the US's misguided military adventure in Iraq... But Africans have more reason to regret his departure. Through his Commission for Africa and his leadership of the G8 and EU in 2005, Blair really put the continent's development plight on the world map...

MARY REVESAI IN ONLINE NEWZIMBABWE

The octogenarian Mugabe, who was born in 1924, is old enough to be 53-year-old Blair's father but his obsessive crusade against the younger man resulted in a role reversal. The man the Zimbabwean leader often refers to as 'little Blair' has shown more decency and maturity than Mugabe.

<A href="http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk">BBC Monitoring</A> selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.