| We don't call 'em useful tools for nuthin... |
Baghdad is plagued by daily kidnappings, both political and criminal. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Government is struggling to contain soaring sectarian tension and daily violence that the United Nations estimates kills more than 100 people a day. Mr Blair has arrived in Baghdad to lend support to the Iraqi Government, which is under pressure from Washington to do more to stem violence between Shiites and Sunni Arabs.
The Iraq stop-over forms part of a Middle East tour aimed at helping to break a deadlock between Palestinian factions and nudge forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Mr Blair sees progress in that conflict as key to defusing regional tensions and helping to stem the Iraqi insurgency. In turn, progress in Iraq is vital to Mr Blair's legacy that looks set to be overshadowed by the war. He will step down next year after a decade as Britain's Prime Minister.