Saddam ‘can start war in under 45 minutes’

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday sought to rally support for possible military action against Iraq, urging a recalled House of Commons not to shirk from doing what was “necessary and right”.

Publishing the British Government’s long-awaited dossier on Saddam Hussein’s weapons programme, the Prime Minister warned MPs the Iraqi dictator could activate his chemical and biological arsenal in just 45 minutes.

The 50-page document draws on material from three British intelligence organisations -- MI6, MI5 and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). It outlines Iraq’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons and to develop long-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel or British bases in Cyprus.

In a statement to MPs ahead of the day-long Commons debate, Mr Blair warned if Saddam were to use such weapons the consequences would “engulf the whole world”.

He insisted the Government was not seeking war. But he warned that having raised the issue of disarming Saddam’s of his weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the international community could not leave the matter unresolved.

“If the international community, having made the call for his disarmament, now, at this moment, at the point of decision, shrugs its shoulders and walks away, he will draw the conclusions dictators faced with a weakening will always draw,” he said.

“That the international community will talk but not act, will use diplomacy but not force. And we know, again from our history, that diplomacy not backed by the threat of force has never worked with dictators and never will work.”

The Iraqi government immediately dismissed the Government’s dossier as “totally baseless”, repeating its claim that it has no weapons of mass destruction.

“This conclusion that Iraq is engaged in the production of weapons of mass destruction is simply not true,” Iraqi presidential adviser Amir al-Sa’adi told an evening news conference.

Blair’s allegations “are long, his evidence is short,” Mr al-Sa’adi said, calling the report a “hodgepodge of half-truths, lies and shortsighted and naive allegations” which he said would not hold up when examined by “competent and independent” experts.

The White House called Britain’s dossier of evidence against Iraq “frightening” and praised Mr Blair for his strong defence of the US-led effort against Saddam Hussein.

“We don’t trust this man and that’s what the Blair report showed today,” President George Bush said.

He praised Blair as “a strong leader.”

“I admire his willingness to tell the truth,” Bush said. “The prime minister continues to make the case and so will I.”

Mr Bush also dismissed former Vice President Al Gore’s criticism of the administration’s push for action against Saddam.

In a speech in San Francisco, Bush’s Democratic rival in the 2000 presidential election said war with Iraq would bring ominous and untold consequences, including eroded world confidence in the United States. This would actually diminish the war on terrorism said Gore, who is likely to run against Bush in the next US presidential election.

Countering the criticism, the President said, “There’s lots of Democrats in Washington DC who understand that Saddam Hussein is a threat and that we must hold him to account.

“Congress must act now to pass a resolution which will hold Saddam Hussein to account for a decade of defiance.

“We shouldn’t deceive ourselves about this man,” the President said. “He has poisoned his people before. He has poisoned his neighbourhood. He is willing to use weapons of mass destruction.”