Blair Accused As Summit on Anti-terrorism Ends in Failure

A Spanish foreign policy adviser was caught on an open mike yesterday accusing Tony Blair of preparing to "throw the towel in" and blaming the Israelis for being intractable at a summit on countering terrorism which ended in failure.

The comments of the adviser, Carles Casajuana, were recorded during a conversation with José Luis Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister. The meeting of European and Arab countries and Israel ended with a bland statement after a failure to bridge serious differences.

Although all those present, including the Arab countries and Israel, signed up to a code, it was much weaker than the EU had hoped. The code condemned terrorism and promised to fight it. But they failed to agree a definition of terrorism.

The Euromed summit brought together the 25 EU states plus 10 others, mainly Arab, bordering the Mediterranean. Many Arab countries did not send leaders because they did not want to be lectured on terrorism. Arab representatives wanted to insert into the definition of terrorism qualifications exempting those engaged in fights against occupation, specifically against Israel in the West Bank. The EU was opposed to any qualification.

During the conversation recorded between Mr Zapatero and Mr Casajuana, the foreign policy adviser said: "The text (of the communique) is not going very well."

Mr Zapatero said: "One must close this somehow. Come on." Mr Casajuana said the British "are about to throw in the towel". He said Mr Blair, in the absence of a significant reference to terrorism, was preparing instead to make a presidential declaration.

He added: "The Israelis are being intractable ... The others are sitting back because they say it is the Israelis' fault." The Syrian foreign minister, Farouk al-Shara, said: "Success in confronting terrorism on regional and international levels is contingent upon addressing its root causes and protecting the rights of people under foreign occupation to resistance."