Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair discussed his views on the Syrian Conflict with Chuck Todd and Walter Isaacson Tuesday morning on MSNBC.
Todd asked Blair whether or not it was correct for Ed Miliband to oppose Prime Minister Cameron on his stance with Obama seeking Congress’ approval to strike Syria, and Blair replied that the UK’s alliance with the United States is "vital" and that he thought it was crucial to support President Obama.
Blair urged leaders to take into consideration the situation in Egypt, which is important "for the development of the region." He reasoned that people in the Middle East "are struggling against forces of extremism and sectarianism." As such, we must provide them with aid in an effort to "promote peace and stability," which means the UK and U.S. should act jointly.
Regarding negotiations and talks about the peace process in the Middle East, he said "what matters is the result. If we get the result we should be happy."
Blair explained that it is evident now that the Israeli/Palestinian issue is not the stimulus for the conflicts in the Middle East region. It’s separate, in a sense. In another sense, however, if solutions were to be made "toward a viable state of Palestine, it would create optimism across the region and would also solidify what I call the alliance moderation and modernization against the forces of extremism that operate across the region to try to destabilize it."