Why Bush should have allowed Blair to talk to the enemy

Concentrating on the 'Yo, Blair' has meant most people have missed the far more significant 'No, Blair', says Jon Snow in this week's Snowmail.

Behind George Bush and Tony Blair's matey joshing at the G8 summit was a very real offer to talk to the powers involved. Bush rejected the offer instead choosing more publicly to ostracise those behind Hezbollah, Iran and Syria.

But while the UK spends £20m of taxpayers money maintaining relations with Iran and Syria, the US spends nothing on diplomatic relations with Iran beyond a servicing charge to the Swiss for handling consular matters - and merely maintains a charge d'affaires in Damascus.

Britain is exceptionally placed to talk to the enemy.

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