Blair's backing for US strike on Iraq ensures a warm welcome

The White House press corps has given public warning

The White House press corps has given public warning. Its members will use the joint press conference tomorrow between President Clinton and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, as their first real opportunity to question Mr Clinton about his relationship with Ms Monica Lewinsky.

The relationship between the US and Britain is less of a priority for the media at this time, but that does not mean that Mr Blair's first visit to Washington since he became Prime Minister is not an important step in the transatlantic alliance.

Britain's readiness to back any future US strike against Iraq with its own forces is warmly appreciated here and guarantees Mr Blair a special welcome at the White House. And also on Capitol Hill, where Congress is preparing to vote a resolution backing "all necessary and appropriate actions" against Iraq.

Britain is seen here as the only reliable ally for the US when it comes to military action against Iraq. This in itself would raise the Washington-London relationship to heights not seen since Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan but in addition there is the special chemistry between the two leaders who have moved their parties to the centre and won power with new ideas.

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Both of them are policy "wonks" and the two men and their wives and close advisers will get a chance to exchange ideas on the philosophies of New Labour and New Democrats when they escape from Washington to Camp David tomorrow evening.

Tonight at the White House, the Clintons will host one of the most prestigious dinners of the social season for the Blairs. Elton John and Stevie Wonder will perform for a guest list which many in Washington would kill to get on. The visitors will stay in the aptly named official guesthouse, Blair House, across the road from the White House.

Northern Ireland will also be on an agenda which will cover relations between the EU and the US and Bosnia. Mr Blair's efforts to get the Northern Ireland peace process off the ground is also much appreciated here, where the visits of British prime ministers have usually drawn protests from Irish-American groups.

The Irish Northern Aid Committee, usually known as Noraid, did organise a 24-hour fast by one of its members outside the British embassy - "to draw attention to the recent spate of sectarian killings" in Northern Ireland rather than protest at Mr Blair's visit.

The Irish National Caucus of lobbyist, Father Sean McManus, issued a press release headed "Cead Mile Failte Prime Minister Blair".

Father McManus said that "In the past, British prime ministers would come to Washington to cover up injustice in Northern Ireland and American presidents would go along with that cover-up. But now, thank God, the situation is completely different."

Mr Blair is "genuinely trying to deal with the Irish issue in a fair and honest way and also, for the first time, we have an American President who wants to do the same thing".

Before leaving Britain, Mr Blair described Mr Clinton as "solid as a rock" in his "tremendous support" for what London is doing to solve the Northern Ireland problem.

A Britain rock solid with the US on Northern Ireland and Iraq - that makes some kind of history.

President Clinton was telling the truth when he said: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky" on January 26th, according lie detector test results.

His public denials were run through a new computerised device which analyses speech patterns by BBC's Tomorrow's World team and shown last night.

The "Truster" system was designed by an Israeli, Mr Amir Lieberman.