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Britain to back military action

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON NOV. 8. Britain has said that it would back any U.S. military action against Iraq if the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, does not cooperate with the new proposed tough U.N. Security Council resolution even if such a move is opposed by other permanent Security Council members like France and Russia.

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, told Parliament that in the event of a breach of the first resolution by Iraq there would be no need for a fresh U.N. authorisation for military intervention.

``We would prefer a decision to be taken in the Security Council. But we have always made it clear that we have reserved our own right to take action within the existing body of the U.N. Security Council resolution, if a subsequent resolution were vetoed,'' he said as Labour MPs attacked the Blair Government for its unreserved support to American moves.

One Labour MP, Alice Mahon, called it a "war resolution'' while a former Labour Defence Minister, Peter Kilfoyle, wanted to know how Britain's national interests were served by such "diplomatic tactics''.

Critics warned that a military attack without specific U.N. authorisation would not be acceptable to the international community, particularly the Arabs. Mr. Straw's strong support for U.S. position came as the Home Office issued a fresh warning of a potential terrorist attack on Britain.

In a nationwide alert, it said that the Al-Qaeda was still active and though it was not possible to say where or when it would strike "but we can be certain they will try''. Intelligence agencies however were quoted as saying that the alert was not related to any specific threat.

Critics dismissed the warning as "scare-mongering'' and an attempt by the Government to justify assuming more powers.

The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, was accused of "talking up'' the threat after he warned of the possibility of terrorists targeting Britain with "a so-called dirty bomb or some kind of poison gas.''

But in a controversial turn, the warning was hastily withdrawn and a milder version which did not mention dirty bomb or poison gas was put out.

Observers noted that Mr. Blunkett's statement coincided with a speech here by the director of U.S. homeland security Tom Ridge in which he drew a frightening terror scenario.

The Guardian said it was likely to fuel suspicions that "the US and possibly Britain want to play up the terrorist threat ahead of a possible military attack against Iraq.''

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