The Hindu : Blair remains evasive on Iraq

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 01, 2002

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International

Blair remains evasive on Iraq

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON AUG. 31. The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has shrugged off speculation over an imminent U.S.-led attack on Iraq as pressure grew on him not to support such an action and a Labour veteran, Lord Healey, warned of catastrophic consequences for Mr Blair's leadership if he defied public opinion.

The Prime Minister told journalists, accompanying him on his trip to Africa to attend the Earth Summit, that "nothing'' had changed over the past few weeks to warrant a panic reaction. But he refused to indicate his own Government's response if its support was sought, nor did he clarify whether Britain would insist on a fresh U.N. mandate for military intervention in Iraq.

Mr. Blair maintained that no decision had been taken on how to tackle Baghdad's "flagrant breach'' of the earlier U.N. resolutions, adding cryptically, however, that doing nothing was not an option.

"Nothing has changed over the past few weeks. Nothing has changed and my views have not changed one jot or iota. The weapons of mass destruction is an issue where the world cannot stand by and allow Iraq to be in flagrant breach of all the United Nations resolutions.

Doing nothing about Iraq's breach of these U.N. resolutions is not an option.

That's the only decision that has been taken so far. What we do about that is an open question,'' he said

He called for patience, citing Kosovo and Afghanistan as models where Britain and America had acted "in a calm and measured and sensible way with the broadest possible international support''. Asked whether he was concerned at the growing international opposition to an attack on Iraq, he said, "I would wait and see what happens.''

Mr. Blair broke his long silence on the issue as Lord Healey, a former minister and deputy leader of the party, joined increasingly dissident voices within the party over the issue.

"I don't think he can survive overwhelming public and party opposition to British support for American action,'' he said.

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