Blair willing to pay 'blood price'

Tony Blair has declared that Britain is ready to line up alongside America "when the shooting starts" in any US-led military assault against Iraq.

Mr Blair's comments, made in a TV interview to be broadcast this Sunday, came as President George Bush reiterated yesterday that the world "had been called into action" to tackle the menace of Saddam Hussein.

When asked if he was prepared to send troops and "pay the blood price" of Britain's special relationship with America, Mr Blair replied: "Yes. What's important too is at that moment of crisis, they don't need to know simply that you're giving general expressions of support and sympathy, I mean that's easy frankly.

"They need to know you are prepared to commit, are you prepared to be there, and when the shooting starts are you prepared to be there."

As Arab League foreign ministers warned that a strike on Iraq would "open the gates of hell" in the Middle East, Mr Blair also faced a challenge to his authority from within his own Cabinet over the issue.

Robin Cook, the Leader of the House, suggested that MPs should be allowed to vote on whether Britain would take military action. But Mr Blair is determined to avoid a formal vote after being warned by govern-ment whips that 100 Labour MPs could mount the biggest backbench rebellion since the party came to power in 1997. Such opposition would force him to rely on the support of Tory MPs.

He has privately vowed not to allow a repeat of the revolt by 23 Labour MPs in 1998 when a second Gulf war looked imminent.

Mr Cook, who is believed to be among the Cabinet "doves" sceptical of military action, said: "In 1991 the Labour Party agreed with John Major that there should be a debate on a substantive motion of a military commitment to the Gulf War. I am perfectly confident that the Government will bear in mind that precedent and will want to make sure that Parliament has equally clear opportunities to record its view."

The Government rejected growing all-party pressure for an emergency recall of Parliament to discuss Iraq. But Mr Blair may reconsider the demands after President Bush outlines his strategy to the United Nations General Assembly next Thursday.

Mr Cook insisted there was no "urgent case" for a recall. "Action is neither imminent nor is it inevitable so therefore it is not an urgent case for Parliament returning," he said.

American and British jets last night bombed an Iraqi military facility after one of their patrols in the no-fly zone was attacked.

Up to 100 planes were involved in the attack on an air defence command and control facility at a military airfield 240 miles west of Baghdad.

The raid was the 35th air strike reported this year by the Anglo-American coalition put together to patrol zones in the north and south of Iraq following the 1991 Gulf War.

As part of the joint diplomatic offensive with Washington, Downing Street announced that Mr Blair would visit Moscow next month for talks with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President. He will seek a pledge that Russia will not veto a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq.

The secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, urged Baghdad yesterday to readmit UN weapons inspectors, while the White House indicated that it will present a dossier on President Saddam's alleged arms build-up. But former president Jimmy Carter has added to criticism of the administration hawks, writing in The Washington Post that a unilateral war with Iraq "is not the answer". He called for UN action to ensure unrestricted inspections, "but perhaps deliberately so, this has become less likely as we alienate our necessary allies".

American aircraft attacked a military airfield 240 miles west of Baghdad yesterday in response to "recent Iraqi hostile acts" against US-led forces monitoring the southern no-fly zone in Iraq. US central command said there had been more than 130 Iraqi attacks against aircraft this year.

Meanwhile President Bush has proclaimed 11 September be designated Patriot Day, in honour of the more than 3,000 people killed by the terrorist attacks.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, will lead Britain's diplomatic efforts at the UN next week and, to underline the importance of the Middle East peace process, will tour Israel and nearby Arab states in the autumn.