IT WAS intended as a potent symbol of American and British unity but, instead, served as a reminder of the grim legacy of the uncomfortably "special" relationship between George Bush and Tony Blair.
Last night, Mr Bush presented the former prime minister with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Does Tony Blair deserve the medal? How a special relationship was made even stronger by 9/11 terror attacksIt is the highest US civilian award, bestowed on those who work to spread democracy or peace or further American national interests, and it draws to an end the awkward and at times painful history of two men whose popularity was stained by the Iraq war.
The presentation reignited the debate over the pair's driving role in the "war on terror" and raised further questions about whether their partnership has left the world a safer place.
It also raised questions about why Mr Blair has still failed to collect another honour bestowed on him by the US: in 2003, it was announced he would receive the Congressional Gold Medal for his help in fighting terrorism.
Shortly after Mr Blair was applauded by Congress, he discovered that David Kelly, the government scientist who was "outed" as a source dismissing the infamous dossier on Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, had committed suicide.
On coming to power, President Bush had predicted of his relationship with Mr Blair that it would be a "personal relationship" which would "stand the test of time". Mr Blair had agreed the two countries "share the same values".
At home, however, the perceived closeness cost Mr Blair support from his own party and the wider electorate.
The "poodle" charge stung, not least because Mr Blair had wanted to restrain the US administration in its war in Iraq. Instead of being painted as the voice of reason, curtailing the president's wilder tendencies, he was portrayed as a lapdog.
That criticism was echoed by the former US president, Jimmy Carter, who attacked Mr Blair for his "blind" support of the war in Iraq. Mr Carter said Mr Blair's backing had been "apparently subservient".
Mr Bush yesterday hailed the former prime minister as a "gallant friend" to the US for standing "shoulder to shoulder" with it in the war on terror, and said he would "stand tall in history".
He said Mr Blair was respected around the world for his "intelligence, insight and, above all, faith and idealism".
The citation before the medal was handed over declared that Mr Blair was being honoured for his "lifelong dedication for a more just and safe world".
He had been a "good friend", and Mr Bush, who once greeted Mr Blair with the American slang "Yo, Blair", admitted what most already suspected: "I did feel a connection with Tony Blair. That friend was there after America was attacked on September 11, 2001."
Mr Blair's wife, Cherie, was present at the ceremony.
The medal, which was handed out at a ceremony in the White House, was always going to cause controversy.
Mr Blair's support for the war in Iraq cost him support at home and fuelled dissent in the Labour Party, with many MPs uncomfortable about his closeness to a Republican president.
Medals were also presented yesterday to John Howard, the former prime minister of Australia, and Alvaro Uribe, the president of Colombia.
Mr Bush paid tribute to Mr Blair's work, not just in Afghanistan and Iraq, but to his role in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Sierra Leone.
The roll call of some of the medal's 400 or so recipients is illustrious: it has been received by Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King.
Mr Blair broke off from his role as peace envoy to the Middle East, where casualties continue to mount, to receive the medal.
A spokesman said it was a "great honour" to receive the award, adding: "The award of this medal reflects the true courage of the men and women of the British armed forces who have safeguarded freedom, democracy and human rights around the globe, thanks to their heroic service and sacrifice."
However, the ceremony was all but ignored by a mainstream US media concerned with the deteriorating economy and Barack Obama's plans to improve it.
Mr Bush has become a peripheral figure in recent weeks and the Iraq war has been judged a failure, rather than a victory deserving of medals.
But among the few Americans to notice the ceremony, Mr Blair is unlikely to be seen negatively. Americans feel isolated and appreciate their few loyal allies.
In Britain, the presentation drew some criticism. Clare Short, who quit the Cabinet after the Iraq invasion was launched, said earlier this week: "It is for services rendered. I think that it is rather good. It symbolises the whole thing. Bush is a disastrous president. Iraq was the most disastrous element of his presidency. Blair, by going along with it, made it all possible."
Angus Robertson, leader of the SNP group at Westminster, questioned why Mr Blair could go to Washington but had not had time to visit Gaza.
It is understood Mr Blair is angry about such charges. He had been due to visit Gaza last year when Israeli intelligence warned of a very specific "threat" to him and the mission had to be abandoned.
Established in 1963, the Medal of Freedom is the highest US civil award. Mr Bush has handed out 78 during his eight years in power. The latest awards were delivered in front of an audience that included the former secretary of state Colin Powell and the former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Some of the most controversial awards came in December 2004, when Mr Bush gave the Medal of Freedom to George Tenet, the former CIA director, Paul Bremer, the former Iraq administrator, and retired General Tommy Franks, three people central to his early Iraq policy.
Mr Bush was particularly criticised for including Mr Tenet, who came under fire over intelligence failures leading to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Design wrangle delays handover of award from CongressA MEDAL that was meant to be awarded to Tony Blair more than five years ago remained unclaimed last night, after wrangling over the design.
The controversial Congressional Gold Medal was due to be given to the former prime minister at the height of the row over Iraq.
It was expected that the former premier would collect it yesterday, along with his Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, a spokesman for Mr Blair confirmed it had not yet been minted.
Recipients are entitled to choose their own design for the medal. But the spokesman dismissed speculation that Mr Blair had chosen an overly-complicated one that made the medal difficult to mint.
According to the minutes of the US Commission of Fine Arts, the delay is because its members asked for a new design. The current picture of Mr Blair was "awkward and does not convey his vitality".
The medal does not have to be awarded during President Bush's administration, as it was an award from Congress. Mr Blair may choose to receive it in the early days of president-elect Barack Obama's term.
At the time that the award was announced, controversy over the Iraq war was at its height. It was suggested that Mr Blair was delaying picking the award up out of fear of appearing to be a "poodle" of the United States.
For four years, before every trip to Washington, Lobby correspondents would ask No 10 whether Mr Blair would collect the medal. The question also came up at Mr Blair's press conferences, where he winced gently whenever it was asked.
The full article contains 1283 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
