Blair rallies Cabinet before emergency debate on Iraq

BRITAIN: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, appears to have rallied his cabinet ahead of today's emergency Westminster…

BRITAIN: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, appears to have rallied his cabinet ahead of today's emergency Westminster debate on Iraq.

Downing Street will seek to shape that debate this morning with the release of a long-awaited dossier of "evidence" it says will "nail the lie" that President Saddam Hussein has disposed of his weapons of mass destruction, and show that the threat from Iraq has "increased and not diminished".

However, speculation persists that at least two ministers - Overseas Development Secretary Ms Clare Short, and Leader of the Commons Mr Robin Cook - might quit the cabinet if Mr Blair finally backs US military action against Iraq without the explicit authority of the UN.

Ms Short, the leading cabinet doubter, has warned against a second Gulf war, and insists action against President Saddam must not inflict further suffering on the Iraqi people.

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She was one of four ministers to have one-to-one discussions with Mr Blair ahead of the full cabinet meeting.

When she left Downing Street later, Ms Short said ministers were "agreed", although many observers suspect she and Mr Cook have adopted a tactical position - to back Mr Blair while he continues to "work through" the UN - and decided this is not the time to determine their own positions.

After a difficult cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister faces a tense day in the Commons as anti-war Labour MPs, led by the "Father" of the House Mr Tam Dalyell, attempt to table an emergency motion opposing the commitment of British troops to any US-led action unless authorised by parliament and the UN Security Council.

And Labour's tensions have almost certainly been heightened by a dramatic intervention by the Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Charles Kennedy, yesterday, with a warning to Mr Blair against following President Bush into an "imperialist" policy on Iraq.

In a speech to the Liberal Democrat's conference in Brighton, Mr Kennedy responded to the fears of his delegates - and articulated those of many Labour MPs - when he questioned America's commitment to "regime change" in Iraq.

To loud applause, he asked: "Am I alone in feeling increasingly concerned about this concept called regime change? I think not.

"Who decides the legitimacy of such change? On what basis under international law? And with what ultimate objective in mind?"

Mr Kennedy said he had not heard any satisfactory answers to these questions.

He declared: "There is more than a hint of imperialism here."

That charge of imperialism will find a resonance on the Labour backbenches today, and at next week's Labour conference in Blackpool.

However, last night's show of apparent cabinet unity - and the fact that the government intends a vote only on a technical motion to adjourn the house at the end of today's debate - might reduce the scale of any rebellion on the government side.

The Conservatives hope to expose the depth of Labour divisions, saying they will abstain unless the government provides a substantive motion backing action against Iraq.

And Mr Dalyell will appeal to Mr Speaker Martin to allow his emergency motion calling on MPs to decline support for war without prior approval of the Commons and unless authorised by the Security Council.

Amid signs that the US is accelerating preparations for military action, Number 10 confirmed that a draft UN resolution would be tabled "within days".

Mr Blair - his eye clearly fixed on today's debate and next week's conference - again told his colleagues it was right for Britain and the US to act through the UN.

His spokesman repeated that Mr Saddam must not be allowed to exploit diplomatic manoeuvring to resist demands that he disarm.

And there is no answer from Downing Street when asked whether Britain will back America if denied UN approval.

Although Mr Kennedy warned of the "extreme uncertainties and undoubted dangers" of military action, he stopped short of total opposition to war, telling his delegates military action could not be ruled out "as a last resort".

Downing Street denied reports that today's dossier would claim Mr Saddam was within 90 days of developing a nuclear bomb or that he already has the ingredients of a "primitive" nuclear device.

They also dismissed one account claiming Mr Blair had told cabinet it was already too late for weapons inspectors to go back to Iraq.