LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair sees it as his duty to try to bridge the gap that has widened between America and Europe since U.S. President George W. Bush came to power. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, European support for America was instantaneous and sincere, but American attitudes and behavior over the past two years have aroused real concerns in Europe.
Meanwhile, European criticisms and, in the view of the U.S. government, the lack of adequate commitment to eradicating terrorism -- particularly the French and German refusal to back the war in Iraq -- have angered the Bush regime.
As he tried to make clear in his recent speech to Congress, Blair can help to rebuild closer U.S. relations with Europe only if both sides are willing to modify their positions. This will not be easy for either side, but it is probably going to be more difficult for the current neoconservative regime in the United States to give up on any of its policy fixations than for the Europeans to swallow their pride and accept that the Americans will be deterred from taking up extreme positions by practical realities, not by logic.