UK/IRAQ: British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair performed a partial U-turn yesterday, admitting for the first time that Saddam Hussein's alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) "may never be found", writes Frank Millar in London
Having insisted all along that Iraq's WMD would be discovered, Mr Blair bowed to the seeming reality a week before the Butler Inquiry is expected to deliver serious criticisms of British intelligence failures in the run-up to the war.
The embarrassing revision of Mr Blair's position also comes at a time of renewed internal Labour Party tensions, with fresh talk about the leadership fuelled by two of Mr Blair's former closest advisers ahead of two difficult by-elections in Birmingham and Leicester.
In an interview to be screened tonight on Channel Five with former Downing Street director of communications Mr Alastair Campbell, the former Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson endorses Mr Brown as Mr Blair's likely successor.
Number 10 is dismayed that these Blairite loyalists have revived questions about the leadership amid evidence that Mr Brown has been irritated by suggestions that he might have missed the opportunity to use public disquiet over Iraq to force Mr Blair to stand down.
Despite the expected storm over Lord Butler's report, scheduled for next Wednesday, Downing Street is confident that Mr Blair's grip on the leadership has been strengthened with the formal transfer of power to the interim Iraqi government and the renewal of domestic political warfare with the Conservatives over health and education policy.
Mr Blair was also buoyed by a Populus poll yesterday showing a slump in support for the Conservative leader, Mr Michael Howard, with Mr Blair himself strongly preferred over Mr Brown by Labour voters.
Mr Blair made his concession over Iraq's WMD during his twice-yearly appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee of senior MPs.
"I have to accept the fact that we have not found them and may never find them," he said. "We don't know what has happened to them. They could have been removed. They could have been hidden. They could have been destroyed." At the same time Mr Blair stoutly defended his alliance with the United States, insisting that Saddam had been in clear breach of UN resolutions and did pose a threat. And he rejected an invitation to apologise for placing undue emphasis on Iraq's alleged WMD or for taking the country to war.
"It is very important not to go to the other extreme and say that because we have not found WMD that he was not a threat," he said.
"The Iraq Survey Group found he had the strategic capacity and intent and was in multiple breaches of UN resolutions. I genuinely believe that those weapons were there and that is why the international community came together as they did."
Defending Britain's alliance with America, Mr Blair said other countries would "give their eye teeth" to be in a similar position. "I think to be seen as the closest ally of America is not much of a disadvantage anywhere in the world," he declared.