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Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair (AP)
Last update - 21:05 15/07/2008
Blair nixes Gaza visit in light of Shin Bet warning of attack
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Blair, Gaza, EU

Quartet Mideast envoy Tony Blair cancelled a planned Tuesday visit to Gaza at the last minute after the Shin Bet security service personally warned him that it had received intelligence that Palestinian terror organizations were planning to attack him.

The trip would have marked the highest-level diplomatic visit to the territory since Hamas took control a year ago.

Hamas was to have provided security for Blair's trip. Hamas officials said before the visit was cancelled that they viewed Blair's decision to go to the territory as a sign of their group's emergence from Western isolation.
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Security sources told Haaretz that Israel had not prohibited the visit, but since this was a sunstantive warning, officials had made certain to immediately pass the information to Blair's aides in order to keep him safe from harm.

Blair's spokesman, Matthew Doyle, said the envoy called off the visit due to a "specific security threat which would have made it irresponsible to proceed, not just for those visiting but also the local community.

"He looks forward to being able to go to Gaza again in the future and will of course in the meantime continue to work to improve the conditions for the people there," Doyle added.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas government spokesman, denied there were any security
threats against Blair. "Gaza is still open for all visitors, to break the siege and see the extent of suffering here," he said.

On an Islamist forum popular with Gaza residents, some users slammed Blair's expected visit, but there were no direct threats of violence against him. Those comments were later removed from the Web site.

A key stop on Blair's trip would have been a northern Gaza waste water project being built with international funds. The Mideast envoy had not been expected to meet officials from Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S., EU and Israel.

"We are very disappointed," said John Ging, Gaza director of the U.N. agency in charge of aiding Palestinian refugees. Blair, a former British prime minister, is trying to revive the struggling Palestinian economy to lay the groundwork for a future independent Palestinian state.

The Quartet of international powers - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - appointed Blair to the envoy post a year ago with an economic focus to bolster chances for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal this year.

Blair's decision not to to meet any of Hamas's leaders during the visit, was in line with a U.S.-led boycott of the group over its refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence after it won elections in 2006, Palestinian and Western officials said.

Blair last visited the Gaza Strip in 1998 when he was Britain's leader.

Related articles:
  • Hamas spokesman says Tony Blair to visit Gaza this week
  • EU, Blair: Checkpoints, Gaza blockade hindering Palestinian aid effort
  • Blair: Middle East peace process is a race against time
  • Blair: Int'l aid would flow into Gaza if political change occured
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      1.   Blair is a GW Lackey and a Waist of Time Anyway 12:10  |  Johan Odin 15/07/08
      2.   Blair only wants to "sex-up" his CV so he can be President of EU 12:36  |  Alan SA 15/07/08
      3.   Still amazes me why Blair thinks himself as peace maker!!! 12:39  |  John 15/07/08
      4.   TONY BLAIR 13:10  |  mike 15/07/08
      5.   Since when is the Shin Bet a Palestinian terror organisation? 13:12  |  Andreas 15/07/08
      6.   Spineless Blair 13:15  |  Gazawi 15/07/08
      7.   Transparent lying by Shin Bet 13:30  |  Clickfool 15/07/08
      8.   israel desperate to prevent the Blair visit! 13:51  |  lakshmi 15/07/08
      9.   He also chose 14:09  |  jackie 15/07/08
      10.   Not so CLEARLY, C`fool. 14:59  |  Fish 15/07/08
      11.   Clicky-For 1st time I agree with you-Blair&WIFE should have gone 15:02  |  Alan SA 15/07/08
      12.   BLAIR 15:42  |  mike 15/07/08
      13.   Hamas Security - An OxyMoron 15:49  |  Phil 15/07/08
      14.   islamofascist deja vu 16:06  |  Arie 15/07/08
      15.   no-go 16:09  |  rm 15/07/08
      16.   israel should not have provided the intel 16:12  |  vik 15/07/08
      17.   Better for him not show up with islamofascists 16:26  |  maurice 15/07/08
      18.   Everybody trusts Shin bet 16:28  |  Natallie Durson 15/07/08
      19.   We shouldnt bother relaying warnings of attacks 16:43  |  Free Gilad Shalit 15/07/08
      20.   Vic, I agree with your post but 17:11  |  Free Gilad Shalit 15/07/08
      21.   Damned if you do damned if you don`t 17:52  |  Arie 15/07/08
      22.   Just the reverse 17:57  |  US observer 15/07/08
      23.   Gazans like British 18:33  |  utagawa 15/07/08
      24.   to Free Gilad Shalit 18:48  |  vik 15/07/08
      25.   More lies 19:18  |  wibism 15/07/08
      26.   No need to be afraid of Hamas 19:23  |  Stella Westwell 15/07/08
      27.   Utagawa - Alan Johnson 19:29  |  wibism 15/07/08
      28.   What Does He Expect in Gaza a Picnic? 19:40  |  Jane 15/07/08
      29.   Have a Great Trip Stella - Don`t forget your burka 19:43  |  Jane 15/07/08
      30.   To Stella Westwell: Here is an introduction to Hamas 20:00  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 15/07/08
      31.   Wibism 20:09  |  utagawa 15/07/08
      32.   No worries Jane 20:23  |  Stella Westwell 15/07/08
      33.   Mladen 20:31  |  Stella Westwell 15/07/08
      34.   Utagawa - Alan Johnson 20:35  |  wibism 15/07/08
      35.   Israel denies entrance to Gaza to all international figures 21:10  |  Natallie Durson 15/07/08
      36.   ODIN.Actually Blair managed to bring peace in Ireland 21:35  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      37.   DURSON they obviously presented evidence acceptable to Blair.Why 21:39  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      38.   Stella Westwell - The Out Of Context charge 21:41  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 15/07/08
      39.   DURSON Carter managed to meet Hamas didn`t he? 21:47  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      40.   #36 Durson 21:54  |  Samk 15/07/08
      41.   Blair needs to help his hapless successor as Brit PM 21:58  |  Voice of Reason 15/07/08
      42.   JUST A PHONE PHONE CALL WOULD SERVE THE PURPOSE 21:58  |  Arik Silverman 15/07/08
      43.   Mladen #38 22:24  |  Stella Westwell 15/07/08
      44.   PETER SM 22:34  |  Natallie Durson 15/07/08
      45.   The real fear is that he would not be attacked 22:43  |  Tim 15/07/08
      46.   Stella Westwell 43 - Match my list please 23:11  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 15/07/08
      47.   Clickfool and Durson Know Better!! 00:04  |  WYSIWYG 16/07/08
      48.   Stella Westwell? 00:05  |  Mike 16/07/08
      49.   The shin Bet does not want him 2 see war crimes and destruction 00:31  |  Gisele 16/07/08
      50.   SHIN BET FABRICATION 01:15  |  JH 16/07/08
      51.   ISRAEL ATTACK ON IRAN IMMINENT 01:23  |  PERFECT STORM 16/07/08
      52.   I hope they kidnap oBama, its profitable! 03:26  |  Avram 16/07/08
      53.   IF THEY HAVE ONE ROOM LEFT IN ALL THEIR SHAMBLES THEY HAVE MADE 03:40  |  glenna 16/07/08
      54.   #43 Uh oh, Stella, you hit a raw nerve there! 05:37  |  ballistic 16/07/08
      55.   #18 Durson...how about those... 07:21  |  Pastor Joseph 16/07/08
      56.   # 50 JH...you really need to stop... 07:23  |  Pastor Joseph 16/07/08
      57.   #47...clickFOOL and Durson the Terrorist Lover 07:27  |  Pastor Joseph 16/07/08
      58.   #44 Durson we volunteer you!!!!!..bye-bye 07:29  |  Pastor Joseph 16/07/08
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