BRITAIN: More than 50 former senior British diplomats have told British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair to start influencing America's "doomed" policy in the Middle East or stop backing it.
Diplomats who previously served in Baghdad and Tel Aviv were among the 52 former ambassadors, high commissioners and governors who signed the unprecedented letter to Mr Blair, telling him they had "watched with deepening concern" as Britain followed the US lead in Iraq and Israel.
The document's co-ordinator, Mr Oliver Miles, a former ambassador to Greece, said they did not intend to damage Mr Blair politically but had wanted to make their voices heard.
They urged Mr Blair to use his alliance with President Bush to exert "real influence as a loyal ally". And they added: "If that is unacceptable or unwelcome, there is no case for supporting policies which are doomed to failure."
While they did not want to undermine the work of coalition forces in Iraq, Mr Miles told the BBC: "We do think through lack of planning and through a misunderstanding, a misreading of the situation, we have got ourselves into an extremely difficult situation."
Mr Miles also claimed the Israeli peace plan "in effect removes the possibility of a negotiated settlement".
The Road Map was supposed to be the work of the US, the EU, Russia and the UN, he said.
"In fact our leaders - the European leaders, including British leaders - have left the initiative entirely to the Americans. And the Americans have done virtually nothing."
Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "They are entitled to their views. What I would stress is that our objectives both in Iraq and the Palestinian conflict remain stability, peace and freedom in the Middle East."