Blair vows US and Britain will hit hard to contain Iraq
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (AFP) -
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday that the US and Britain must use
"whatever means necessary" to stem Iraq's Saddam Hussein's efforts to develop
weapons of mass destruction.
In an interview with ABC television, Blair said Saddam "still wants to develop
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction."
"We've got to make sure that we contain him and in particular the ambitions that he
has," Blair said.
Speaking on NBC television, Blair said that the latest bombings were not a sign of a more
aggressive approach toward Iraq.
They were, he said, a reaction to increased Iraqi attacks.
"He has stepped up the pressure, and we're having to step up the pressure in order to
keep him contanined," he said.
"I think its always improtant remember this is a man who killed thousands of his own
people with chemical weapons, that launched a war against Iran that cost one million
lives, that launched another war against Kuwait that took the whole of the allied effort
to repulse him," Blair said.
Blair said "we simply cannot afford to let him develop these weapons of mass
destruction and to threaten the world again."
"He's still a threat," he said.
Blair said he welcomed discussions on Washington's controversial plan for a national
missile defense shield, which some in Europe fear could spark an
arms race.
The prime minister said Britain shared "American concerns about weapons of mass
destruction" and nuclear proliferation.
"And therefore the need to have an open discussion that takes into account offensive
and defense systems that allows us to contain weapons of mass
destruction and do the very best to protect our people," he said.
Blair said he believed "it's possible to find a way through this that meets American
concerns and also meets the concerns of other members of NATO
and Russia and other countries."
"It's in the box marked handle with care, but I think the way the administration is
handing it is the right way," he said.
Blair is in the United States for his first meeting with newly elected President George W.
Bush. He is the first European Union leader to meet with
Bush since his inauguration in January.
Blair said he hoped to forge a "good personal relationship" with Bush as he
shared with former president Bill Clinton, but added that the tie between
Britain and the United States is "more than a personal relationship, it is a
strategic relationship that is important for Britain and the outside world."
The two leaders will meet at Camp David, the US presidential retreat in Maryland outside
Washington, where Blair and wife Cherie will overnight with
Bush and his wife Laura.
Blair was to meet Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington, before traveling by helicopter
to Camp David for lunch and talks with Bush.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and White
House Chief of Staff Andrew Card will attend the talks.