To What Extent Diplomats Influence Foreign Policy? Tony Blair’s Foreign Policy since 9/11 with Regards to Afghanistan and Iraq as Case Studies

Abstract

To what extent diplomats can influence foreign policy of a country? To what extent a diplomat can be influenced by external factors? What are the important factors that are being placed in the agenda of diplomats? To find these answers, this paper examines the Tony Blair's foreign policy after 9/11 towards two Muslim countries-Iraq and Afghanistan. This paper argues that derived from the doctrine of internationalism, Blair took a policy of interventionism which at the end failed to create any effective result. This paper suggests that 'value of life' should be placed at the forefront of foreign policy.