Millions on march fail to sway Blair

TWENTY-FOUR hours after mass demonstrations against an impending war on Iraq, Tony Blair was given a display of Cabinet unity yesterday, the increased domestic backing for his stance against Saddam that he has called for.

An estimated ten million people took part in 600 peace rallies in 60 countries around the globe on Saturday, including 750,000 in London and 90,000 in Glasgow.

But John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, urged Labour members to rally round a leader who he said had earned their trust through his sound judgment in crises over Sierra Leone, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

"In situations like this, the job of a leadership is to take action because it is right and just. Such actions are rarely popular," Mr Prescott told the party’s Spring conference in Glasgow.

"Tony Blair is such a leader. I trust him to make the right judgments in the interests of the British people and those of the wider world community."

President George Bush’s national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said Washington was considering tabling a new resolution threatening Iraq with the use of force, but made clear its patience with the UN was running out. "Continuing to talk about more time and more time and more time is simply going to relieve pressures on the Iraqis to do what they must do," she added.

The emphatic backing for Mr Blair came as US intelligence sources detailed the scorched earth policy they expect American and British troops to face in any assault on Iraq. Saddam Hussein’s government has plans to blow up dams, destroy bridges, ignite oilfields and even deny food to civilians to create chaos for an advancing army.

Iraqi troops, including the elite Republican Guard, have been equipped with chemical protective suits, taken as the latest sign that Iraq is prepared to use chemical or biological weapons. US intelligence officials have also concluded that Iraq will try to strike Israel with Scud missiles, perhaps armed with chemical or biological weapons, a claim previously rejected in Baghdad.

While US military planners are still counting on a one-sided war, the Iraqi leadership will struggle to drag it out.

"We have indications that their goal is to delay, impede, and deny US forces a clear and quick victory," a US defence official told the New York Times. US airborne troops are said to be ready to establish bridgeheads deep inside Iraq. But with reports of Iraqi forces moving explosives into the oilfields of southern Iraq, they will have a race on their hands to seize control before Saddam unleashes an environmental disaster.

Today, an emergency summit of Europe’s leaders faces an uphill struggle salvaging unity over Iraq in the face of deepening divisions. The Greek EU presidency arranged the Brussels talks to heal the rift, but many - including Mr Blair who met with the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan last night - fear the meeting will only throw the spotlight on how torn the West is over military action.

On the eve of the summit, Greece warned that failure to reach a consensus on policy towards Iraq would plunge the Union into "deep crisis".

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said yesterday that the risk of a terrorist attack is still high with a "substantial presence" of al-Qaeda terrorists in Britain. Sir John Stevens said that he did not believe the threat of attacks was over.

Scots police forces have received extra training to deal with a chemical, biological or nuclear attack.

A Venezuelan was last night charged under the Terrorism Act after a hand grenade was allegedly found in his luggage at Gatwick Airport.

Hasil Mohammed Rahaham-Alan, 37, was stopped by Customs at Gatwick airport’s North Terminal on Thursday after arriving from Caracas.

He is charged with possession of an article for the purpose of committing a terrorist act, possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or damage property and carrying a dangerous article on a British registered aircraft. He is due to appear at London’s Bow Street Magistrates Court today.