Monitors face no arbitrary date: Blair

British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday refused to impose an ‘‘arbitrary time scale’’ on the work of UN weapons insp...

British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday refused to impose an ‘‘arbitrary time scale’’ on the work of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, but at the same time insisted President Saddam Hussein would be disarmed by force if necessary.

Treading a tightrope between domestic disquiet and a desire to keep up pressure on Baghdad, Blair also predicted the UN would authorise military action against Iraq if Saddam were proved to be in breach of its resolution on disarmament.

UN arms experts said on Monday that they require up to a year to complete their inspections in Iraq. Their first major report will be delivered on January 27. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said UN resolutions provided timetables of ‘‘somewhere between six and 12 months’’ for inspections.

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‘‘Let the inspectors do their task. I don’t think there is any point putting an arbitrary time scale on it,’’ the Prime Minister told reporters at his Downing Street home. But he added: ‘‘Of course January 27 is an important day, because it’s the first report back from the inspectors.’’

Blair gave no indication that Britain would be happy to wait months for a definitive answer about Saddam’s arsenal. ‘‘Last week was the first week that the inspectors were in there with their full complement,’’ he said in response to questions about the timing of any war. ‘‘Some of these questions, you (can) put to me again in a few weeks’ time.’’

He faces the problem of selling a potential war to the home audience, particularly if it does not have a new UN mandate. A YouGov poll for the Independent Television network on Monday showed 53 per cent of Britons would back a UN-sanctioned attack on Iraq but only 13 per cent would support action by the US and Britain alone.

Blair stressed Britain’s adherence to the UN process. Britain would prefer to secure a second resolution before military action was launched, he said. ‘‘If there is a breach, the UN will agree to have a resolution,’’ he said. ‘‘My own judgment, and I have spoken to the key players in this…is if there is a breach then action will be authorised.’’ (Reuters)