Current Commentary
Blair gov't shrugs off UKanti-war rebels
By Al Webb, UnitedPress International
LONDON, (UPI) -- British Prime MinisterTony Blair and his ministers Wednesday shrugged off a revolt inParliament but failed to heal a rift within the ruling Labor Partyover the government's threat to go to war alongside the UnitedStates against Iraq.
Blair stifled at least temporarily a rebellionby 56 Labor members of Parliament Tuesday night by insisting thatdisarming Iraq rather than overthrowing its leader, Saddam Hussein,was Britain's main objective. He also promised to work with theUnited Nations in dealing with Baghdad.
The seemingly unruffled prime minister secludedhimself Wednesday to begin work on his politically vital keynoteaddress to next week's Labor Party conference -- a meeting thatpromises far fiercer opposition to military action in Iraq thanhe has yet run into even in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Labor rebels led by hardcoreanti-war MPs, unconvinced by the dossier of evidence of Iraq'sstockpiling of weapons of mass destruction that Blair outlinedin Parliament, launched plans for a peace march and mass rallySaturday in London to try to derail the government's war plans.
Organizers told reporters the London anti-warrally would become "one of the largest of its kind"-- a prospect that left Labor Party leaders fretful, coming asit will on the eve of the party conference in Blackpool, England.
But Blair received an unexpected boost froma monthly ICM poll in the Guardian newspaper, which showed that65 percent of those surveyed said they would be prepared to backa war against Iraq if the government produced evidence that Saddamhad acquired chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
At the same time the poll -- in which arandom sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 or above were questionedbetween last Friday through Sunday -- showed 13 percent believedSaddam's sincerity in offering "unconditional" accessto his weapons stockpiles and research facilities by U.N. inspectors.
The Blair government is increasingly playingto the fears of those hesitant about military action. ForeignSecretary Jack Straw told British Broadcasting Corp. radio onWednesday that "the prime minister and I fully understand.Of course, there is anxiety about the idea that we may end upby going to war."
But, he insisted, what London and Washingtonboth want, "what the world wants, is a peaceful resolutionto the issue of weapons of mass destruction held by Iraq,"Straw said. "We want to see the disarmament of Iraq by gettingthe weapons inspectors in and then by other action, without militaryaction."
Still, the words may not be enough to headoff trouble for Blair and his Cabinet at the Blackpool conference,where party sources say a raft of anti-war measures are beingprepared to seek to embarrass the government.
In Parliament, Blair is less troubled byhis political opposition -- Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smithhas already given his party's broad acceptance to the government'stough stance against Baghdad -- than by the anti-war rebels withinthe Labor ranks.
Blair urged a recalled session of Parliamenton Tuesday not to shirk from doing "what is necessary andright." But already, more than 160 MPs have signed a parliamentarymotion opposing military against Iraq, and at least 133 of thoseare Laborites.
According to reports citing government sources,at least three and possibly more members of Blair's Cabinet arepoised to resign in protest at any military intervention in Iraq,particularly if it is launched without prior approval and supportfrom the United Nations.