What the papers say

Journalist Grania McFadden takes a look at Wednesday's morning newspapers.

The papers are united over today's main story - the prime minister's support for American action against Iraq.

But they are divided in their support for his words.

The Daily Mail asks whether Saddam Hussein represents a real threat, claiming Mr Blair had said "nothing new, erased not a single doubt".

The Guardian believes Mr Blair needs more convincing arguments in his case for war, while the Independent warns that the closer he veers towards Washington, the greater the risk of his isolation in Europe.

But the Times argues that the elimination of Saddam Hussein's ambitions would be in Britain's national interest.

War preparations

And the Daily Telegraph believes that if operations in Iraq are as swiftly successful as those in Kosovo and Afghanistan, all but the loudest cooing doves will embrace the regime change.

It notes that the Pentagon has already moved enough artillery and tanks to Kuwait's border with Iraq to equip 25,000 troops.

And the Guardian reports that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered that all preparations for an Iraqi counterstrike should be completed by 1 November.

And as the first anniversary of the attacks on America's twin towers approaches, the Mirror reports on a security scandal at Heathrow Airport.

It says police have arrested a group of illegal immigrants who, without any proper checks, obtained passes to work as cleaners on passenger jets just before they took off, and asks: "Have we learned nothing?"

As the world remains on terror alert, the Mirror also carries a front page story which claims that the Continuity IRA is believed to be behind a series of blasts at Ballyhornan in County Down.

Murdered girls' funerals

It says the dissident republican gang, which has its power base in the area, has been using an isolated beach as a training camp, and has been test-firing rockets.

The Express front page carries the now familiar picture of murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

It reports that their funerals have taken place outside the media spotlight in two very private services.

The News Letter reports that a legal loophole which allows paedophiles convicted otuside Northern Ireland to roam freely here, is finally to be closed.

The paper says new legislation to tighten the net on sex offenders convicted outside the UK should become law within months.

The Irish News leads with what it calls a "seminal moment" in the Saville Inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings.

Forensic expert Dr John Martin told the Widgery Tribunal in 1971 that seven of the dead had firearms residue on their bodies or clothes.

'Trash culture'

Yesterday, he said that these findings were very likely based on contaminated evidence - an admission which has prompted the family of one victim to demand a public apology.

Finally, the Independent reveals that "'trash culture" is threatening to damage children's ability to spell every day words.

A new survey show pupils can no longer spell words like Shakespeare or Jane Austen correctly, but have no problem getting David Beckham's name right.

While words like parliament and millennium posed problems, others like Hogwarts and battle droid proved easy.

And a surprising number even knew how to spell metatarsal - the small foot bone made famous by footballer David Beckham.

And I'm sure they can all spell Romeo..