BRITAIN: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has praised "the heroism and courage" of British and American forces in Iraq ahead of today's summit with President George W. Bush in Washington.
With Iraq and the ongoing allied assault on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja topping the agenda for two days of talks, Mr Blair has also again assured Labour MPs he regards the revival of the Middle East peace process as an integral part of the wider battle against terrorism.
However, Mr Blair flies out to Washington leaving behind a bitter row over the future of the Black Watch Regiment, which Mr Blair described yesterday as "an integral part of the operation in Falluja" designed to extend security ahead of the Iraqi elections scheduled for January.
The proposed reduction in the number of Scottish regiments and their subsequent merger dominated the exchanges between Mr Blair and Conservative leader Mr Michael Howard during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, as a group of 11 relatives of soldiers killed or still serving in Iraq handed in a wreath to 10 Downing Street and demanded the withdrawal of British troops.
At the same time Mr Blair again told MPs there are no plans to deploy other British troops to relieve the Black Watch after they complete their current 30-day mission at Camp Dogwood.
Mr Blair was responding to Liberal Democrat leader Mr Charles Kennedy, who noted that a number of "leading insurgents" had already fled Falluja and that violence was flaring elsewhere in the country.
"Would you be prepared to authorise again the redeployment of British troops elsewhere in Iraq in support of American-led operations," asked Mr Kennedy for the second week running. But Mr Blair refused to speculate about possible future requirements. "First of all we should pay tribute, not just to the British forces but to the American and Iraqi forces for what they are doing in Falluja," he replied:
"Many of those in Falluja are foreign jihaders . . .These are not people who have any right to be in Iraq at all.
"We would cease operations now in Falluja if they would lay down their weapons and agree to participate in elections."
Mr Blair pressed the point: "The real desire of these terrorists is to stop the elections because they know that if there are elections in Iraq, as there have been in Afghanistan, that is a huge blow to them."
Earlier Mr Blair accused Mr Howard of "shabby opportunism" for implying that the government's proposed modernisation of the army's regimental system was undermining the Black Watch as it backed the American-led operation in Falluja.
The Prime Minister insisted that any decision on the proposed creation of a single super regiment was for the army to make, and that none had yet been taken although it would be announced "shortly".
However, Mr Howard was determined to heighten Mr Blair's embarrassment following reports that he is considering a plan to save the majority of Scottish regiments with their unique regimental culture and historic identities.
After the reported briefing of Labour MPs on Tuesday night about a possible compromise way forward, Mr Howard demanded: "Don't you understand how shameful it is to treat the Black Watch and their families in this way at a time when they face such great danger in Iraq?"
Mr Blair - who will be the first foreign leader to be received in the White House following the President's re-election last week - told Labour MP Mr John MacDougall the "Road Map" for Middle East peace and an understanding of "the sense of injustice" that exists in that part of the world were also vital in ending violence.