Blair asks Bush for more time
By Joe Murphy, Whitehall Editor, In Washington
31 January 2003
Tony Blair flew into Washington today with a plea to George Bush to give him more time to win backing for war on Iraq.
He arrived for the most crucial diplomatic mission of his career, convinced he can patch together bitter divisions in Europe and at the United Nations.
With President Bush voicing impatience over diplomatic efforts, Mr Blair was putting his own authority on the line to win more time. The Prime Minister was expected to give a personal assurance he can win support for a second UN resolution justifying military force to disarm Saddam Hussein.
"People will come to support a second resolution," a Downing Street spokesman insisted, "once Saddam is seen not to be answering the questions about his weapons programme."
That seemed an impossible task as Mr Blair arrived, with France and Germany leading protests at the letter of support for the tough US stance signed by eight European leaders, including Mr Blair.
President Bush made clear he was setting a strict deadline of "weeks not months" after which America may take action without UN cover.
Mr Blair has four to six weeks to build an international consensus behind a UN resolution authorising force, officials believe.
The Prime Minister was being taken by helicopter to Camp David for five hours of talks with President Bush this afternoon, joined by David Manning, Mr Blair's foreign affairs adviser, and Condoleezza Rice, Mr Bush's security adviser.
Although dubbed a "council of war", aides said the main talks were on diplomatic strategies to put pressure on Saddam and win support from France and Russia, which both have a veto at the UN.
But the two leaders and military officials were expected also to discuss final details of plans to invade Iraq with a force of up to 250,000 troops and establish a new post-Saddam government.
In Madrid last night, where he stopped off for talks with Spanish president JosȠMaria Aznar, Mr Blair urged the international community to hold its nerve and face down Saddam. "I believe the international community will follow through on what it agreed on," he said. "We came together around a clear set of principles and we should keep to that strategy."
Mr Blair believes Monday's report by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix will be the basis for a second resolution condemning Iraq for failing to co-operate with disarmament. But it is unclear whether he thinks he can win backing for a strict deadline or a resolution explicitly authorising military action.
Both Mr Blair and President Bush faced protests at home today. TUC leader John Monks and his American counterpart John Sweeney released a joint letter warning war would encourage terrorist attacks on Britain and America. And an ICM poll for the Daily Mirror and GMTV said 43 per cent of people opposed war in any circumstances.
Mr Blair was still smarting from an outspoken attack by Nelson Mandela, one of his political heroes, who branded him as "wanting to plunge the world into a Holocaust".
Before setting off for the US, Mr Blair announced 4,500 more UK reservists are to be called up, making about 6,000 in total.
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