I'm an American, and I thought Blair's speech was quite eloquent and appropriate to the situation we find ourselves in.

A number of people on this thread, and on the thread(s) about Bush's speech to Congress, have made dismissive or disparaging remarks about "rhetoric". I don't think the importance of rhetoric should be underestimated. I believe that one of the most important things that Bush and Blair can do at this point is to articulate the rationale for the actions we are preparing to take, and their vision for the world that we will strive to create out of this crisis. I think both have done this admirably.

Some of the most significant accomplishments of our greatest leaders of the past were the speeches they gave in times of crisis. This is certainly true of Lincoln (Gettysburg Address, Second Inaugural), FDR (Day of Infamy, Four Freedoms), and Churchill (take your pick). Leadership starts with communication, and while our response should not be limited to speeches, they are essential to any effort like this.