Tony Blair is to redouble efforts to convince the British public of the need for action against Iraq amid concerns the UK and US are losing the propaganda battle over Iraq, according to a report, published on Sunday.
A British cabinet minister is reported to have told the Sunday Telegraph: "We have to accept there's a battle for hearts and minds which we're not yet winning."
The newspaper said the British prime minister has ordered intelligence services to draw up a new dossier of evidence against Saddam Hussein.
Meanwhile, Blair is believed to have dismissed the need for the United Nations weapons inspectors to turn up a "smoking gun" against Saddam.
He is expected to argue that obstruction does constitute a breach of the UN resolution, whether the inspectors find anything more concrete or not, the Observer reported. The paper quoted British sources saying Baghdad's failure to cooperate with the inspectors would be enough to spark an attack.
On Sunday, Blair told the BBC UN weapons inspectors must be "given time to do the job" but if they are unable to complete their task then Saddam Hussein must be disarmed by force.
He added: "That duty to cooperate doesn't just mean that he has to give them access to particular sites. It means he has got to co-operate fully in saying exactly what weapons material he has, allowing the inspectors to inspect it, monitor it and shut it down.
"We have gone down the UN route precisely because the inspectors have got to be the means of trying to resolve this peacefully. If the inspectors are able to do their job, fine, but if they are not able to do their job, then we have to disarm Saddam by force.
"Of course, and I have always said the inspectors should have the time to do their job. The time they need is in order to certify whether he is fully co-operating or not."
(Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
