Blair in bid to face down Labour revolt

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday insisted that he stood “absolutely 100%” behind intelligence claims made by the government about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the war, as he sought to face down a looming revolt by Labour MPs.

Mr Blair vehemently rejected allegations by former international development secretary Clare Short that he had struck a secret deal last September with US President George W Bush that they would invade Iraq. He also dismissed the idea that Downing Street had "doctored" material from the intelligence agencies in order to strengthen the case for military action as "completely and totally false".

But his defiant performance failed to quell the rising anger among Labour MPs opposed to the war, who are concerned parliament and the public was misled over the threat posed by Iraqi weapons to justify the war.