BRITAIN/IRAQ: An impassioned Tony Blair went on the offensive last night in a fresh attempt to persuade a sceptical British public that an American-led war against Iraq would be justifiable if Saddam Hussein refuses to co-operate fully with the United Nations weapons inspectors.
After renewed warnings to Baghdad - made after talks with the United Nations' senior inspectors - Mr Blair flew to Tyneside to face a selected audience of sceptics during an interview on BBC's Newsnight programme, while anti-war demonstrators shouted "no blood for oil" outside.
Twenty-four hours after Mr Colin Powell's dramatic presentation of the Bush administration's case that Iraq is in "material breach" of UN resolution 1441 Mr Blair was confronted with articulate questions from voters and from the presenter, Jeremy Paxman, all asking whether war is justifiable at this stage of the UN weapons inspection process.
On the day when Mr Geoff Hoon, the British Defence Secretary, announced that more than 100 RAF aircraft - 75 per cent of them bombers - were being deployed to the Gulf for the possible war, Mr Blair repeatedly insisted that Iraq must be disarmed, by force if necessary.
But he refused to rule out war without a new UN mandate if there was an "unreasonable veto" at the Security Council. "If there were a second UN resolution, then I think people would be behind me. I think if there is not, then there is a lot of persuading to do," he told the audience, who broke into applause during several anti-war questions.
Taunted with being "Mr Vice-President" and "the Right Honourable Member for Texas North", the Prime Minister claimed he would be more popular if he adopted a different stance on Iraq. "I think it's my duty to tell it to you, I may be wrong, but I do believe it," he said.
Much of the Newsnight interview covered familiar ground, but it confronted Mr Blair with the deep suspicions and fears of ordinary voters, from Muslim women to critics of the government who accuse the US of hypocrisy and greed for oil - what Mr Blair called an "oil conspiracy theory".
The Prime Minister said: "I have never said that Iraq is about to launch an attack on Britain, but if you look at the history of Saddam Hussein I think there is absolutely no doubt at all that he poses a threat to his region." As France and Germany again signalled their determination yesterday to give the weapons inspectors much more time - and more staff - to assess President Saddam's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, Downing Street talked up the Powell dossier, which was described by the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, as "compelling evidence" at yesterday's cabinet meeting.
No 10 also dismissed reports that Dr Condoleeza Rice, the White House national security adviser, had said no fresh UN mandate was needed. Washington was committed to "helping" get a second resolution, a spokesman said.
In the desperate struggle to woo wary voters, No 10 trumpeted the hawkish remarks made in London by Dr Hans Blix, the head of the UN team, and Mr Mohamed ElBaradei, his counterpart at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Both men are due to report to the security council again next Friday.
They also both saw Mr Blair and Mr Straw at No 10 yesterday before flying to Baghdad for a crucial confrontation with President Saddam at the weekend. Mr Blair wanted to know if there was any sign of greater Iraqi co-operation - and whether there was any help he could provide.
After "very good discussions" the pair emerged to tell reporters that a peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis remained possible, but echoed the US-UK line that time was running out.
"What has not worked is for the Iraqi side either to present prohibited items for destruction or present evidence that they are finished," Dr Blix said. "We hope at this late hour. . .that they will come to a positive response. If they do not do that, then our report next Friday will not be what we would like it to be." Adamant that the Powell dossier proves the case for disarming President Saddam, Mr Blair's aides also highlighted the admission by Mr Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief and previously a dove, that the Powell dossier was "very solid". - (Guardian Service)