Blair: 'Inaction not an option'

The British Prime Minister is heading for talks with Bush

LONDON, England -- The threat posed by Saddam Hussein's programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction must be tackled "one way or another," British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

Speaking to reporters on board his trans-Atlantic flight to the U.S., Blair stressed the "very real" threat posed by the Iraqi leader.

Blair arrived at Andrews Airforce Base for talks with President George W Bush on Iraq just after 2.45 p.m. local time (1945 BST) on Saturday.

During his flight. he said the talks, to be held at Bush's Camp David retreat, were still aimed at agreeing the best way of dealing with that threat, and that no decisions had been taken yet on what that should be.

Without U.N. weapons inspectors on the ground, he said "we haven't got the faintest idea what's been going on over the past four years."

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But he appeared sceptical that the return to Iraq of inspectors alone could resolve the growing crisis, and again repeated his hints that while he wanted the broadest possible international support, a specific U.N. resolution authorising military action might not be needed.

On the inspectors, he said: "I have to point out that we have got to see this in the light of experience. Why did the inspectors go?

"It was because the inspectors found they couldn't do their work. Whatever weapons inspection regime is put in has to be one that's very effective."

Pressed whether a new U.N. resolution was needed, Blair said: "There's no doubt this issue has to be dealt with. The only decision that's been taken at this stage is that inaction is not an option."

While he wants the "broadest possible coalition" for any action against Iraq, he added: "We have however to make sure this issue is dealt with one way or another."

He said other countries now "fully understand" that Saddam has to be brought back into containment.

"At this stage all I want to say is I think it's important we do do this with the broadest international support but what I have been impressing on my colleagues in other countries is this is an issue that has to be dealt with.

"I think this thing is moving forward. They do realise this is an issue which does have to be dealt with."

Asked about his talks with Bush, Blair said: "What I want to do today is work out the best possible way of ensuring that the issue of weapons of mass destruction, the chemical, biological or potential nuclear capability of Saddam is dealt with effectively."

Britain is the only permanent member of the Security Council to publicly support Bush's position on Iraq.

In an interview scheduled for broadcast Sunday, Blair told the BBC that Britain should be prepared to commit troops alongside U.S. forces.

"They need to know you're prepared to commit, you're prepared to be there and when the shooting starts, you're prepared to be there," he said.

Blair has faced criticism at home for that position, but he told the BBC he would not be backing the United States "if I thought they were doing something wrong."

"If I thought they were committing military action in a way that was wrong, I would never support that," he said. "But I've never found that, and I don't expect to find it in the future."

Russian officials said Putin told Bush he has "serious doubts" about the legal or political basis for military action against Iraq. (Full story)

Putin believes a real possibility remains of solving the Iraq standoff politically, the officials said.

Meanwhile, coalition aircraft monitoring the southern no-fly zone over Iraq used precision-guided weapons to strike an Iraqi military communications facility on Saturday.

According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the strike was carried out "in response to recent Iraqi hostile acts" against coalition aircraft.

The strike occurred at 4:15 a.m. EDT, near Al Kut, approximately 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, the statement said. Target damage is still being assessed.