Blair puts his job on the line but his war strategy is working – so far

By Ronan Mullen

Asked whether Ireland should accommodate Saddam Hussein if the Iraqi dictator goes into exile, Rabbitte suggested that this matter would have to be considered, or words to that effect. It was just an off-the-cuff comment, his press officer reassures me. I think he means his leader wouldn't have said it if he was actually thinking at the time.

It's not like Rabbitte to trip up like that, but perhaps it shows how little serious thought he has given to the Iraqi crisis. Nothing else could explain his recent assertion that Ireland should join the "Franco-German peace effort" and that the Government should not 'support or facilitate' unilateral military action against Iraq. Does the Labour Party think that Iraq would have given any co-operation to the weapons inspectors without the threat of direct action by the US?