Britain and the United States may have difficulty gaining full support in the Arab world for their long-term strategy to contain Iraq.

Many of their Arab allies would like to be rid of Saddam Hussein, or at least his constant stand-offs with the United Nations over weapons inspections.

But some regional governments were embarrassed to be associated with what many Arabs perceived as unprovoked attacks.

At its latest meeting, the Arab League repeated its condemnation of the military operation - criticisms which were echoed on the street throughout the bombardment.

Arabs welcomed the end of the air strikes, which were criticised as unjust aggression in many capitals.

Those governments allied to the West were more restrained in their comments, but they too were relieved that the strikes had ended.

Anger on the streets

In particular, they feared that anger on their own streets would escalate if the military operation extended into the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Throughout the bombardment, demonstrators shouted anti-US and British slogans. In Cairo, protesters demanded a holy war against the United States. In Morocco they called American President Bill Clinton a murderer and the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, his dog.

They said the attack was against all Arabs, and condemned the death of Iraqi civilians.

There was unanimous sympathy for the suffering of the Iraqi people, but western diplomats said officials from Egypt and the Gulf monarchies privately supported the military campaign because they hoped it would get rid of Saddam Hussein.

But only Saudi Arabia called publicly for Saddam's overthrow in its official press. Even Kuwait, the victim of Iraqi aggression in 1990, was more circumspect.

Questions over Butler

Arab leaders are uneasy because of the widespread view that the attacks were unprovoked, and that they were based on biased reports by Unscom chief, Richard Butler.

It was also clear that the people were fed up with what they saw as America's lack of balance in the region.

In fact there is a huge backlog of resentment here about the long history of control by external power.

Many Arabs are also disgusted with the perceived weakness of their leaders, who participate in the western agenda more often than they stand up to it.

Right now, the US is clearly the most influential foreign power, but by joining it, Britain is reviving memories of the colonial past.

Arab leaders have little room for manoeuvre when it comes to western policy, because of their strong military and economic ties to the US and Europe.

But they may find it difficult to support a strategy that requires the constant threat of force without specific measures to unseat Saddam Hussein.