January 7, 2003
Tony Blair will today reaffirm Britain's strong backing of US president George Bush's stand-off with Iraq.
The prime minister is expected to claim that "it is massively in our national interest to remain the closest ally of the US," but we must continue to persuade the Americans to "broaden their agenda" on issues such as the Middle East, third world poverty and global warning.
Mr Blair's speech to British ambassadors gathered in London comes a day after the near collapse of the government's planned mini-summit of the Middle East - seen as an attempt to create a more rounded foreign policy for the region.
His comments follow the disclosure yesterday that a Royal Navy task force, headed by the carrier HMS Ark Royal, will set sail on Saturday for the Persian Gulf. The defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, is to make a statement in the Commons today on further British troop deployments to the region.
The prime minister is expected to say that the world will "rue the consequences of our weakness" unless Saddam Hussein is disarmed.
Mr Blair will warn that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) poses a direct threat to British security and that it is "only a matter of time" before terrorists are able to get their hands on them.
"Unless the world takes a stand on this issue of WMD," Mr Blair is expected to say, "we will rue the consequences of our weakness".
On the transatlantic alliance, the prime minister will emphasise that "the price of British influence" was not leaving the US to deal with issues like WMD or terrorism alone. And he will claim that America's decision to go down the "UN route" on Iraq is an important symbol of its desire to work with other nations.
Echoing the prime minister, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, has said that Britain's aim is simply to secure Iraq's compliance with UN security council resolutions (UNSCRs). In a written Commons statement, Mr Straw said: "Our prime objective is to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction and their associated programmes and means of delivery, including prohibited ballistic missiles, as set out in UNSCRs".
"This would reduce Iraq's ability to threaten its neighbours and the region, and prevent Iraq using WMD against its own people."
And in words that seem designed to reassure anxious Labour MPs, Mr Straw promised to "act in conformity with international law, including the UN charter and international humanitarian law". However, he added that if Iraq failed to comply with the demands of the UN security council, it would face "serious consequences".
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