PEACE MISSION OR COSTLY PR STUNT? LACK OF PROGRESS: Tony Blair in the West Bank earlier this month, left and right. Above: The American Colony Hotel where his mission is based.

From: The Mail on Sunday (London, England) | Date: May 18, 2008 | Copyright information

Byline: David Rose

IN JERUSALEM it has become much harder to get a room in the city's besthotel, a carved stone palace that was once the haunt of Churchill and Lawrenceof Arabia.

The reason for the shortage is simple.

There are only 86 bedrooms at the American Colony Hotel and ten of them - morethan an entire floor - have been booked indefinitely by Tony Blair to be usedas offices by his mission to the Middle East.

The cost, much of it b...

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