Straw bids to ease Iraq fears

Raids on Iraq have continued since the Gulf War

Any action against Iraq will take place under international law, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has insisted.

Mr Straw was responding to growing disquiet among Labour MPs about the prospect of a new military campaign in the region.

We have never been involved in any military action without the backing of international law and we are not going to be

Jack Straw
Foreign Secretary

Britain did not have a mandate to invade Iraq now and would not act without the approval of the United Nations, he told BBC1's Breakfast with Frost.

But Mr Straw warned that if Baghdad continued to refuse to allow UN weapons inspectors back into the country, then the position in international law may well change.

'Appropriate response'

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on Sunday voiced an even tougher stance.

Speaking on ITV, Mr Hoon said Britain would be "perfectly entitled" to use force against Iraq without a specific UN mandate if Saddam Hussein was seen as a threat.

A military response to Saddam has generated concern within Labour

If British forces or civilians were threatened by weapons of mass destruction, Britain would reserve the right to use "appropriate, proportionate responses," Mr Hoon said.

The UN resolution on weapons inspection already in place against Iraq would be enough to validate action "in principle."

Mr Hoon's comments appeared at odds with International Development Secretary Clare Short, who has insisted any military action against Iraq would require a specific UN mandate.

Other Labour Party figures have also been expressing grave concerns.

Former Culture Secretary Chris Smith on Sunday warned against Britain "going on the coat-tails" of US unilateral action against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Speaking on GMTV, he said he and many of his colleagues would be "worried" by any prospect of "all-out invasion of Iraq".

"I don't think that would be something that any of us would be particularly happy about," he said.

Debate call

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell called for a debate on how to tackle the weapons stockpiling in Iraq.

Straw: Saddam has failed to comply with international obligations

"The issue of Iraq is an extremely serious one," she told BBC One's On The Record.

"We do need to have a debate about the issues around Saddam Hussein."

"I would be disappointed if backbenchers were not wanting to be part of that debate."

Mr Straw said no decision had been taken on the issue and that any future decision was a long way off.

But he said Saddam could avoid a crisis by meeting the demands of the United Nations over readmitting weapons inspectors to the country.

Responding to fears from some MPs that the US and UK could act without the approval of the UN, Mr Straw said: "We have never been involved in any military action without the backing of international law and we are not going to be.

"The crucial thing is Iraq's failure to comply with international obligations rather than speculation about military action, and the answer to that lies in Saddam Hussein's hands."