US ex-president Carter faults "subservient" Blair

London, May 19: Nobel Peace Prize-winning former US President Jimmy Carter denounced outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair's loyal relationship with Washington today, saying it had worsened the aftermath of war in Iraq.

''Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient,'' Carter said on Britain's BBC radio when asked how he would characterise Blair's relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush.

''I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world,'' Carter said.

Carter, who was president of the United States from 1977-1981 and won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his charitable work, was an outspoken opponent of the invasion of Iraq before it was launched in 2003.

If Blair had opposed the invasion, the British prime minister might not have been able to stop it, but he could have lessened the harm that followed by making it more difficult for Washington to shrug off critics, Carter said.

''It would certainly have assuaged the problems that have (arisen) lately,'' Carter said.

''One of the defences of the Bush administration in America and worldwide... has been: 'Okay, we must be more correct in our actions than the world thinks because Great Britain is backing us,''' Carter said.

''I think the combination of Bush and Blair giving their support to this tragedy in Iraq has strengthened the effort and has made opposition less effective and has prolonged the war and increased the tragedy that has resulted.'' Blair, who made an unannounced visit to Iraq today, has said he will step down in June. His Labour Party has named his long-serving finance minister, Gordon Brown, to succeed him.

Brown was a member of the cabinet that voted in favour of the war, but has said mistakes were made in Iraq and he will review policy there.

Britain now has about 7,000 troops in southern Iraq but has announced plans to cut them back to about 5,500 over the next few months and withdraw from its bases in Iraq's second biggest city Basra to an air base outside the city.

REUTERS

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