The disarmament of Iraq is crucial for world peace, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will say later today.
He will tell an audience of British ambassadors and senior diplomats the key thrust of foreign policy over the next decade would be to curtail the production of and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
"Since 1991, Iraq has been a litmus test of the world's determination to hold states to their [UN] non-proliferation commitments," he said in extracts released ahead of his presentation.
"Iraqi disarmament - whether it is achieved by peaceful means or by force - is essential both for the world's capacity to deal with the threat presented by WMD and for the authority of the UN," he added.
UN arms inspectors are in Iraq checking for evidence of the manufacture or stockpiling of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, backed by a tough UN resolution insisting on complete compliance and threatening action.
Mr Straw also said it was clear that bin Laden's al-Qaeda network would not hesitate to use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons if it managed to acquire them.
Referring to Iraq and North Korea, he said nations who refused to comply with UN resolutions on non-proliferation were likely suppliers to terrorists.