July 26, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15,1423

LONDON, July 25: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday that “evidence” of Saddam’s weapons programme would be made public well before an attack on Iraq.

In an interview Blair said: “If the time comes for action, people will have the evidence presented to them.”

He reasserted that President Saddam Hussain is trying his best to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

Blair said: “Be in no doubt at all that he is certainly trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, in particular a nuclear capacity.”

But Blair made no reference to whether a vote on military action against Iraq would take place in the parliament.

The comments by the prime minister regarding a military action against Saddam Hussain speaks of the British government’s difficult position on the US-perceived political change in Iraq. It is very hard for Blair to support military action against Iraq without evidence that Saddam is making weapons of mass destruction.

Agencies add: Speaking at a press conference in London on Thursday, the British premier said military action against Iraq was not imminent, adding: “We are not at the point of decision yet.”

“I actually think we are all getting a bit ahead of ourselves on the issue of Iraq. As I have said before, action is not imminent, we are not at the point of decision yet.

“And there are many issues to be considered before we are at the point of decision.”

Blair said earlier this week that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was seeking to acquire nuclear weapons to add to his chemical weapons capability and suspected biological weapons stockpiles.

The prime minister told the press conference: “Our demand is that he lets UN weapons inspectors back in unconditionally, any time, anywhere, any place.”