Mr Blair's Middle East trip was right and courageous

It is just as well that the Prime Minister decided last year to stop "chasing every headline", because he attracted a rash of unfavourable ones this week. He was said to be "embarrassed" or even "humiliated" by his lecture from President Assad of Syria in the course of his "unwise" or even "reckless" trip to the Middle East.

Tony Blair should instead be praised for travelling to Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territory. Why should it be embarrassing or unwise to engage in a dialogue with people with whom one disagrees? Indeed, such a dialogue is precisely what is needed to mitigate the damage being done by the bombing of Afghanistan to the campaign for the hearts and minds of Muslim and Arab opinion on which ultimate success against al-Qa'ida depends.

It would not be unduly cynical, nevertheless, to guess that the joint news conference held with Mr Assad was a New Labour device which did not turn out as Mr Blair or his acolytes expected. Instead of standing shoulder to shoulder as modernisers dedicated to a new world order, the Syrian dictator told Mr Blair he did not agree with the bombing and that he regarded Palestinian terrorists, including the assassins of an Israeli cabinet minister, as freedom fighters.

This setback does not negate the value of the visit, however. On the contrary, President Assad articulated the views of precisely that sector of Muslim opinion with which the US and its allies need to engage. He condemned the 11 September attacks but asked that similar attention be given to the wrongs suffered by the Palestinian people. As Mr Blair said, the "injustices in the Palestinian issue" in no way justify what happened in America, but he is right to engage in a debate with those who do link the two issues. He is also absolutely right to do what he can to move the Middle East peace process further on – because it is right in itself, obviously, but also because any progress can only strengthen the coalition against al-Qa'ida and the Islamic extremism on which it feeds.

It is of course possible, too, that the importance of Mr Blair's mission was exaggerated in British eyes. But if it advanced the possibility of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process by just an inch – or even a centimetre – it was worthwhile.