Tony Blair returned to Yale University this week for the start of his second year teaching a course on "Faith and Globalisation" and he sat down with reporters to discuss everything from terrorism to American football, which he said he does not understand.
Here are some extracts from the conversation:

Q: How did the course at Yale go last year? Will anything be different this year?

A: We sort of sharpened various things since last year because obviously the first time it starts you're learning, but it went extremely well last year. We had a great time with the students. Again we've had a lot of people apply to go on it this year. It's probably getting more and more practical in its outlook, so we'll deal more specifically with things like religion and violence, religion and conflict resolution, religion and gender, issues like that which I think are right at the forefront of people's concerns.

The interesting thing is, which is why we've had such a great response to taking it from different universities in different parts of the world, is that for a lot of students these issues are absolutely where their concerns are and where there interests are.

Q: Does it surprise you that you're such a draw, almost a celebrity, in America, whether on David Letterman's show or Comedy Central or in the classroom?

A: When you've been British prime minister for 10 years and after a fashion I speak your language, and also when you've been through all the difficult things we've been through with America, I suppose it's not surprising that people kind of know who you are.

Q: On the subject of difficult things, do you tire of being asked about Iraq?

A: No, I think it's totally natural when people do. But as you could see from the program, I've got a very strong view myself about it. These are hugely difficult questions. How you deal with this virus, which is what [terrorism] is in the world today, because you can see it in Afghanistan, it's no different, is a really difficult question. I was talking about it with some of the people from Yale the other night. There are two choices: do you try and manage and contain it, which is one question or solution, or do you say no, you've actually got to surgically remove it. You've got to eradicate it. And obviously I took the second view, but I'm not disrespectful of the first view at all. It's just when I look at the way this terrorism operates, I don't think it's possible really to compromise with it.

Q: Do you think former leaders, whether it's you or Bill Clinton LAW '73 or now George W. Bush '68, can actually have a bigger impact once out of office than you did while in office?

A: Well, the ideal thing is to have less power and more influence. But whether that's attainable or not I'll tell you in a few years' time.

You can find a student perspective on Tony Blair's time on campus from the Yale Daily News