D'Ancona is deputy editor of the British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph. In this interview about the British prime minister, d'Ancona discusses Blair's relationship with George W. Bush, the prime minister's "almost perverse" sense of moral certainty, and why he believes Blair has risked so much to preserve his country's alliance with the U.S.

Historian Tony Judt is a professor of European studies at New York University, where he is director of the Remarque Institute, and the author of A Grand Illusion? An Essay on Europe (1996). Here, he discusses the ways in which the experiences of Europeans and Americans contribute to differing perspectives on the post-Sept. 11 world and the war with Iraq, arguing that European reactions to the Bush administration's actions and rhetoric are understandable and that statesmen on both sides of the Atlantic will have much damage to repair.

Kagan is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a contributing editor of the conservative political magazine The Weekly Standard. His new book, Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order (2003), has been hailed as a timely and far-reaching, if controversial, analysis of the current divide between the U.S. and much of Europe. In this interview with FRONTLINE, he talks about the diverging worldviews of Europeans and Americans, how Sept. 11 and the Iraq crisis have increased the psychological distance between Europe and America, and how Tony Blair's efforts to bridge the gap represent the best hope for finding a workable compromise between fundamentally different approaches to the post-Cold War international order.

Kornelius is the editorial page editor of Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of Germany's most influential daily newspapers. In this interview with FRONTLINE, Kornelius talks about German perceptions of the U.S. administration and its decision to go to war with Iraq, plus why he thinks German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's outspoken criticism of the Bush administration is shortsighted and may ultimately damage his country's strategic position in Europe.

Meyer was British ambassador to the U.S. from 1997 through February 2003, during which time he participated in some of the crucial debates on Iraq. Here, he talks about British Prime Minister Tony Blair's first meeting with George W. Bush and the variables that inspire the alliance between the two leaders. Meyer also talks about the strong personalities that may have "bedeviled" the diplomatic negotiations between Blair and his European counterparts. Ultimately, Meyer holds out hope that the U.N. will survive this challenge and emerge from post-war Iraq a strengthened institution.

Parmentier is director of the French Center on the U.S. at the French Institute for International Relations in Paris. He formerly was head of external relations at NATO and prepared a French Ministry of Defense study on the future of the Atlantic alliance. In this interview, he discusses the misunderstandings and fractures in the U.S.-French relationship in the months leading up to the Iraq war, noting in particular the rift that developed between Colin Powell and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin. Parmentier also explains the reasons behind France's opposition to the war and President Chirac's personal motivation in taking a determined anti-war stance.

Richburg has been The Washington Post's Paris bureau chief since the fall of 2000. In this interview, he discusses the French view that it was their "aggressive diplomacy" -- and not Tony Blair's efforts -- that led President Bush to seek a U.N. resolution for going to war in Iraq. Richburg also talks about the weaknesses in Resolution 1441, offers an example of Bush's diplomatic blundering, and lists the reasons for France's opposition to the Iraq war.

Thomas is the assistant managing editor of Newsweek. In this interview, he analyzes the U.S. president -- his methods and motives -- and measures Tony Blair's influence on him. Thomas also discusses some of the pivotal debates that took place on the road to war with Iraq and ultimately concludes that the president may have erred by letting the diplomatic course run on for months in the hopes of indemnifying the British prime minister, his staunchest ally, against a political backlash.

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posted april 3, 2003

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