The SAS was reportedly ready to join the land offensive in Afghanistan last night as Downing Street signalled the imminent extension of Britain's involvement in the war on global terror.
As discussions continued between London and Washington about the development of Britain's so-far limited military engagement, Britain's frontline services were on full "bio-terror" alert as the Health Secretary, Mr Alan Milburn, sought to assure the British public the government had "planned for all eventualities."
At the same time the government was engulfed in a fresh civil-liberties row while ministers grew increasingly impatient with backbench Labour critics of the war. Following the disclosure of a stand-up row between one Labour dissident and the party's chief whip, the Armed Forces Minister, Mr Adam Ingram, likened critics of the government's support for the American-led war to those who had appeased Hitler.
Mr Milburn confirmed that the Chief Medical Officer had led a review of all existing emergency plans and that fresh guidelines had been issued to the emergency services and frontline doctors about actions to be taken in the event of any terrorist, biological or chemical attack.
At the same time Mr Milburn again insisted there was "no specific or credible threat" against the United Kingdom at this time. Following the events of September 11th, he said the government "would be foolish to be anything other than vigilant". But he told the Breakfast with Frost programme: "We've got to get this absolutely in proportion otherwise we're going to have real public panic and panic isn't going to help anybody."
He was speaking after the London Independent on Sunday revealed details of the governments "secret bio-terror blueprint", a 16-page document warning emergency services to prepare "for the largest number of civilian casualties ever seen in Britain in the event of a chemical or biological terrorist attack."
With increasing speculation that terrorists might deploy smallpox next, Mr Milburn refused to go into the detail of Britain's vaccine-readiness beyond saying: "We are pretty well prepared on all these fronts.
" But I stress we are taking this action, not because we believe there is a specific or credible threat against us but because in these circumstances there is an obligation on government to prepare for any eventuality however remote the risk might be." The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr John Reid, said he believed the "higher" biological threat came from anthrax, a view he based on the fact that the US had already suffered anthrax attacks.
Asked why the government had not issued leaflets to households advising the public, Dr Reid told the BBC's On The Record programme: "We have to get this balance between being prepared, having the planning, informing the appropriate authorities and on the other hand avoiding unnecessary panic."
The Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, meanwhile, defended the government's decision to introduce retrospective legislation against bio-terror hoaxers. He said the new powers to jail anthrax hoaxers for up to seven years would take effect from yesterday, although parliament is unlikely to approve the new measure until next month.
The Liberal Democrats' spokesman, Mr Simon Hughes, said "the force and the manner" of the legislation was "an unnecessary over-reaction" and that government must be careful "not to cause the sort of alarm it is trying to warn against."
But the Tories backed Mr Blunkett, who said hoaxes - of which there had been 500 in the Metropolitan Police area alone in the last week - caused enormous disruption for police and emergency services.
A Labour MP, Mr Paul Marsden, was unrepentant last night about disclosing his row with the government chief whip, during which Ms Hilary Armstrong rebuked him for his anti-war stance and reportedly told him war was "not a matter of conscience".
And he won the backing of the veteran Labour MP, Mr Tam Dalyell, who said Mr Marsden reflected the view of many Labour members around the country.
Appearing on Sky Television Mr Ingram was asked if there were people in Labour's ranks who were the equivalent of Nazi appeasers. He replied: "I think we are moving towards that. I think we are dealing with an evil that is stalking the world which has very clear analogies towards Nazism and Fascism. And those who give it succour have got to question their judgment in all of this."