February 6, 2003	Thursday	Zul Hijjah 4,1423

LONDON, Feb 5: Britain is ready to go to war against Iraq without a second UN resolution if any Security Council member blocked such a mandate with a “capricious” veto, Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Wednesday.

Just hours before US Secretary of State Colin Powell was to present evidence to the United Nations which he said would prove Baghdad was failing to disarm, Blair insisted Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

Blair told the House of Commons that Britain would be prepared to launch military action if “it is clear that Iraq is in material breach, but for some reason someone puts down what I would describe as an unreasonable, capricious use of the veto.”

“I believe our case on weapons of mass destruction is very, very clear indeed. It’s perfectly obvious that Saddam has them,” added Blair, Washington’s staunchest ally in the US push against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

“The UN said he has to give them up. He’s not giving them up at the moment.”—AFP