Blair's remarks fuel war speculation

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, OCT. 7. The remarks of the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, as he returned from his breathless diplomatic shuttle to Russia, Pakistan and India, have prompted intense speculation here that a U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan is imminent. His comment to journalists accompanying him that everything was now ``in place'' and ``we are ready to go'' was described by one commentator as the ``starkest'' warning yet that preparations for a confrontation were complete.

Mr. Blair's statement also stressed that the countries such as Pakistan, which had been persuaded to come on board would be ``very surprised if we did not back up what we said.'' The sense among Mr. Blair's advisers, according to one newspaper, was that military strikes could come ``this week'' though it said that more meetings and visits were expected before deciding to fire the first shot.

Mr. Blair claimed that his three-nation tour had strengthened the U.S.-led global coalition against terrorism and said he saw no signs of a ``retreat'' at the prospect of military action.

``The offers of support have been repeated in a firm way and when people see action is going to take place, that's the time you might have been able to see a sense of retreat from the position established after September 11. Instead of a retreat, there has been a strengthening,'' he said on his return.

Mr. Blair, who has emerged as the most belligerent of European leaders in the current crisis, justified committing British troops to a military operation against Osama bin Laden and his hosts saying: ``If we failed to act, the risk is simple: more British lives lost through terrorism.''

In a newspaper interview, he warned that the United Kingdom could be the next target of Osama-inspired terrorism and and reminded them that more Britons were killed in the September 11 attacks in New York than in ``any single incident in Northern Ireland''.

Observers warned that the public opinion, now overwhelmingly in favour of Mr. Blair's approach, could swing sharply in the event of large-scale British casualties. ``Once the body bags start arriving, the mood could change drastically,'' one analyst said.

This was reflected in Mr. Blair's remarks that risks were inevitable in a military operation though ``everything'' would be done to ``minimise'' them. ``It is pointless to say that we can undertake military action without risks being run,'' he said. The Prime Minister's decisive tone and ``body language'' were the clearest indication yet that the hour of reckoning was at hand, according to a senior BBC journalist who accompanied him.

The headlines this morning were all pegged on Mr. Blair's war rhetoric. ``Blair Issues War Alert after Tour of Allies,'' screamed The Sunday Times saying that Mr. Blair had ``effectively put Britain on a war-footing'', while The Independent on Sunday led with ``Blair: We Have the Evidence to Start War''. The Observer's lead story said:``Allies Tell Taliban: It's Time for War''.

Last Sunday, The Observer sensationally declared that a war was expected ``within 48 hours'' adding that it could ``come as early as today'', and the weekend before, The Sunday Telegraph predicted that hostilities were imminent.

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Section  : International
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