Britain: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said coalition troops in Iraq must "hold firm, be resolute and see this through", as the long-expected attack on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja got under way yesterday.
His comments came after his Iraqi counterpart, Mr Iyad Allawi, confirmed his approval of the military action being led by US Marines backed up by soldiers of the Black Watch Regiment. In a statement to MPs, Mr Blair said: "Let us be very clear about the fundamental importance to Britain's security of what the Black Watch and the British armed forces in the south of Iraq are doing.
"Defeat of terrorism in Iraq is defeat for this new and virulent form of terrorism everywhere."
He went on: "It is precisely for that reason - because victory for the terrorists would damage security round the world, including in Britain - that we have to hold firm, be resolute and see this through, including in Falluja."
Meanwhile the US civil rights campaigner, the Rev Jesse Jackson, has claimed that the allied attack on Falluja was nothing more than a "massacre" designed to salvage US military pride in Iraq.
Stating that the US was killing Iraqis "to liberate them", he said the false premise for going to war had not become any truer since the re-election last week of President Bush.
"They will win the battle but in terms of the US, it makes the US more isolated, less able to have moral authority in other conflicts around the world."
Mr Jackson was speaking at Government Buildings after he paid a courtesy call on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.