British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair today rolled up his sleeves and strode into the Omani desert to boost the morale of British troops who could be sent to fight in Afghanistan.
Mr Blair, who has in the past shown enthusiasm for committing British forces to global hotspots, stopped short of telling the troops they could be speedily sent to Afghanistan if ground troops went in. But he left the possibility open.
"You never know when you are going to be called upon to fight, to put your lives at risk," Mr Blair told about 200 soldiers who crowded round him in the desert.
Tucking into chicken and curry and strawberry ice cream with the soldiers at Al Sha'afa military base, Mr Blair said his appetite for a fight was undiminished.
We are prepared to fight when what is at stake is whether to try to resolve the differences in the world by talking to people, negotiating, by reaching a common understanding or whether we let the extremists, terrorists, fanatics determine our fate, he said.
Officials said Mr Blair's morale-raising visit was planned before the September 11 US attacks and this week's US-led military action against Afghanistan in which some British forces are already participating.
But the visit is also being used to bolster Arab support for the coalition assembled against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, which has refused to hand over Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the U.S. attacks.
Mr Blair was due to hold talks with Sultan Qaboos of Oman on today, continuing his whistle-stop diplomatic tour aimed at shoring up Arab support.
Omani authorities have permitted students to display anger against the US-led strikes against Afghanistan in two days of protests this week in which demonstrators shouted America is the enemy of God.