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Blair Govt. `rattled' by protest

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON FEB. 17. Domestic pressure on the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, not to push for a war with Iraq has increased after Saturday's massive peace protest in London and the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, admitted today that it would be "very very difficult indeed'' to take military action without public support.

Signs of nervousness were also evident at the Labour party's spring conference where Ministers were lined up to defend Mr Blair's Iraq policy and rule out any change in what was seen as a concerted bid to put up a show of unity amid reports of deep divisions within the Cabinet. But behind the attempts to put on a brave face, there was unease over the unexpectedly huge success of the peace march, which even by police estimates, attracted close to a million people. Mr Straw described it as "probably the biggest one we've seen in our recent democratic history''.

Ministers acknowledged the depth of public opinion and said Mr Blair was aware of the risks. "Everybody recognises the enormous political dangers to the Government and this party,'' said Margaret Beckett, a senior Cabinet Minister, adding, "no one is more conscious of that than the Prime Minister and the Cabinet''. The Labour party's chief whip, Hilary Armstrong, underlined the widespread unease in the party that Mr Blair was putting his political career on the line. Labour MPs warned of a revolt against Mr Blair's leadership if he supported U.S.-led military action. Alice Mahon urged the Prime Minister to "back off'' and suggested that there was talk of leadership change if he did not listen.

The Labour party chairman, John Reid, infuriated protesters when he accused them of supporting a repressive regime in Baghdad and said they bore some "moral responsibility'' for the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein's policy of "murder''' and "torture''. A spokesperson for Stop the War Coalition denounced Dr Reid's remarks as "disgraceful'' and said it was the West which was responsible for boosting Mr Hussein in the past. "So, it is a bit rich to turn around and blame us now,'' she said.

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