Blair scrambles for support on Iraq as Short threatens to quit

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair scrambled to rally support yesterday for his tough stand on Iraq as the threat of a ministerial resignation over war rocked his government.

Other government ministers closed ranks around Blair after International Development Secretary Clare Short said she would resign if Britain went to war without UN backing.

Short, a popular and plain-talking minister, attacked Blair for being politically, diplomatically and personally “reckless”. Blair responded with a stark warning on the need to show Iraq a united front, but his failure to sack Short showed how carefully he knows he must tread over an issue that has sparked the worst parliamentary revolt since he took office in 1997.

“He believes that nobody should be sending a mixed signal to Saddam which would give Saddam the impression that once again he can duck making his decision” on disarmament, Blair’s official spokesperson said.

“Clare Short remains a cabinet minister,” the spokesperson said, but he would say no more on her position. Mr Blair’s “focus remains resolutely on getting a second resolution,” he said.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw yesterday said London and Washington could modify the resolution in an attempt to gain a critical mass of support on the Security Council.

He set out a list of detailed disarmament moves for Saddam to fulfil by March 17 if he is to avoid war, and officials said that deadline could be extended a little.

Other ministers stood behind Blair in his time of need. “The whole country should support Tony Blair in his determination to secure international agreement for a second United Nations resolution,” said Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who is close to Short. Two other ministers and several MPs said they were “surprised” by Short’s comments. Short went much further than just voicing dissent over Iraq.

“I will not uphold a breach of international law or this undermining of the UN and I will resign from the government,” Short said. “The current situation is deeply reckless.”

While Mr Blair was busy trying to rally world support for backing of the resolution, he was confronted with emotional scenes in London.

After recording an interview for last night’s Tonight with Trevor McDonald, members of the audience lectured Mr Blair, and others who had lost friends or relatives in the Bali or September 11 bombings, not to put other families through the same horrors. They included Hannabeth Luke, whose boyfriend was killed in the Bali bombing.

Mr Blair told her after she warned an attack on Iraq might fuel terrorist outrages: “There’s nothing I can say to take away the pain that you feel in this situation, but the reason why I’m taking this action is that my worry is if the terrorists are able to get hold of even worse material than they used in the bomb in Bali.”