Blair braced for unrest over Iraqi war plans

Tony Blair was returning from holiday tonight to face growing domestic and international unease over the possibility of war with Iraq.

The British Prime Minister and President George Bush are “100% agreed” on the need to deal with Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Downing Street insisted.

But speaking ahead of his return, a spokesman made it clear Blair believes Saddam Hussein could “resolve this issue” by readmitting weapons inspectors.

US figures have insisted that move would not be enough to avoid the need to remove the Iraqi dictator.

At home, a majority of voters are against military action, with strong opposition among Labour supporters, according to a poll published today.

Abroad Saudi Arabia issued a fresh warning to the US despite President George Bush’s latest attempts to convince America’s traditional ally.

And a senior Washington figure said one of Mr Blair’s advisers complained that Mr Bush was giving nothing back to Britain in return for support.

Mr Blair’s official spokesman played down differences between Britain and the United States.

“We are 100% agreed with the US that you have to deal with the issue of weapons of mass destruction. You cannot put your head in the sand on that issue,” he said.

“Equally, there is a route for Saddam to resolve the issue by giving unfettered access to UN inspectors and for him to comply with UN resolutions.”

The spokesman added: “Equally, you have to note the history which is that Saddam has not complied with UN weapons inspections and you do have to think through what happens if he continues with that policy.”

Former British Foreign Office minister Tony Lloyd warned the rhetoric of US administration “hawks” was making it difficult to avoid conflict.

“The really worrying thing ... is that the more the hawks in the administration talk up military action the more difficult, frankly, it will be for the American President to get off the war machine,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

It was “almost inevitable” that the issue of Iraq would be taken up at this autumn’s Labour Party conference, he said.

“We’ve had so little certainty from Washington and, frankly, from the British Government.

“I think throughout the country people now will want answers, particularly if this intense rhetoric from Washington continues.”

His warning came after US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last night compared the White House’s policy of seeking the removal of the Iraqi leader with Winston Churchill’s warnings about Adolf Hitler before the Second World War.

Mr Rumsfeld told 3,000 US Marines at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego: “It was not until each country got attacked that they said ‘Maybe Winston Churchill was right. Maybe that lone voice expressing concern about what was happening was right’.”

A majority of voters – 52% – now say Britain should not support US policy on Iraq, an ICM survey for The Guardian found.

Opposition to military action has grown from 46% in March, while support for an attack among Labour supporters fell from 43% to 35%.

Among all voters, 50%, are opposed to military action to remove Saddam Hussein’s regime, with just 33% in favour.

Those concerns are shared by Downing Street, according to Richard Holbrooke, the former US ambassador to the United Nations.

Writing in the Washington Post, Mr Holbrooke said: “Last month, a senior adviser to Tony Blair told me bitterly that Washington ‘was giving Blair nothing’ in return for Blair’s unstinting support, even as British domestic opposition to Blair’s pro-American position was growing.”

Downing Street declined to comment on the report.

However, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faysal made clear his government’s unease with the American stand.

Mr Bush took Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia’s Washington ambassador, to his Crawford ranch, in Texas, to put the case against Saddam Hussein.

However, Crown Prince Abdullah, de facto ruler of the kingdom because of King Fahd’s chronic illness, said no country backed military action.

And that message was spelt out again today by Prince Saud al-Faysal, who also issued a vigorous defence of his country’s record in fighting al Qaida following US suggestions of Saudi support for the terror group.

Saudi Arabia has “suffered greatly from the actions of Saddam Hussein” and an Iraqi scud missile had exploded on his own roof, he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One.

However, Saddam’s removal was a matter for the people of Iraq and outside intervention, from America or elsewhere, would destabilise the region, he said.