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UK Tornados safe after raids

UK Tornados, carrying 1,000lb bombs, have successfully completed two waves of attacks on Iraq.

Up to 12 GR1 warplanes took part in the missions from the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait. There were no British casualties, the RAF said at about 0100 GMT.

"All British crews have returned safely," said the RAF spokesman in Kuwait, Group Captain Bryan Collins,

Further strikes took place on Baghdad at about 0400 GMT, but it is not known if RAF Tornados were involved.

News of the UK's role in Operation Desert Fox, the codename for the joint mission with the US to hit Iraq's weapons-making capability, was announced by Tony Blair during a dramatic Commons statement on Thursday.

The prime minister told the House: "As we speak, British Tornado aircraft are engaged in action."

In a highly unusual Commons statement - which came at the same time as President Bill Clinton addressed the American public - he insisted he had been left with no alternative.

He surprised MPs by declaring: "Yesterday I authorised the participation of British forces in a substantial US-UK military strike against targets in Iraq.

"This attack began last night, maximising surprise. The operation is now continuing and, as I speak, British Tornado aircraft are engaged in action."

His statement won widespread support from all parties in the Commons with only a few voices from his own backbenches raised against him.

And it came after he informed his Cabinet that he had been left with no other choice in dealing with Saddam's regime.

He told his top team it would have been a "dereliction of duty" not to have taken action.

It was clear the operation, which will see hundreds of cruise missiles unleashed against Iraqi targets, will continue right up to the Ramadan religious festival, which starts on Sunday.

Mr Blair insisted the aim of the exercise was to take out Saddam's ability to make weapons of mass destruction.

He said there were no plans to kill Saddam and he vehemently rejected claims the timing was designed to distract attention away from President Clinton's looming impeachment proceedings.

Mr Blair told MPs it was impossible to rule out the possibility of allied casualties in the operation.

But he stressed the action was a direct result of the threat posed by Saddam and his persistent refusal to abide by UN resolutions.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary George Robertson and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared the first assault had been highly successful.

They both insisted the action had been directed at military targets and that Britain had no argument with the Iraqi people.

Opposition leader Mr Hague urged the attacks to continue until the Iraqi leader is removed from power.

He said: "We believe the overall objective from the policy towards Iraq should be to remove Saddam from power, rather than temporarily checking his ambitions."

But Mr Blair replied it was a broad policy objective to remove President Saddam but that was not the aim of the current military action.

However, some Labour MPs continue to oppose the UK's involvement in the air strikes.

During the Commons debate on the military offensive Tony Benn, Alice Mahon, Jeremy Corbyn, Tam Dalyell and George Galloway were among those who condemned the action.

Mr Galloway said the UK was "diminished and degraded" by having been reduced to "the tail on this verminous and mangy Desert Fox" in backing the US.

Mr Benn described the bombing as "deeply immoral and contrary to an ethical foreign policy of which we boast".

The debate ended without a vote on the issue, despite the efforts of Labour left-wingers.

They had hoped to stage a procedural vote in protest of the military action, but their efforts failed when the government did not put up tellers for the ayes amid chaotic scenes.