0
BRIGHTON, Sept 28: British Prime Minister Tony Blair offered his Labour party on Tuesday a partial apology for waging war in Iraq - a desperate attempt to pull supporters back behind him ahead of an election next year.
But as two more British soldiers died in Iraq, his hopes of drawing a line under two years that has wrecked his public trust ratings are far from secure. "The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons ... has turned out to be wrong," Mr Blair said, his nearest yet to a mea culpa.
"The problem is, I can apologise for the information that turned out to be wrong but I can't, sincerely at least, apologise for removing Saddam," he said. "The world is a better place with Saddam in prison not in power."
Mr Blair's speech was interrupted twice by protesters, one yelling that the premier 'had blood on his hands', others opposing a planned ban on fox-hunting. They were ruthlessly bundled out of the hall.
IRAQ HURDLE: For most of his speech, Mr Blair focused on domestic issues which he hoped would define his campaign to win a third term at a general election expected in May. But aides said he knew that would not resonate, with party or the wider public, if he did not tackle Iraq head-on.
Mr Blair made the case for war on the assertion that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had banned weapons ready to use. The fact that none has been found more than a year after a major military action finished has soured British public opinion.
"Whatever disagreements we have had, we should unite in our determination to stand by the Iraqi people until the job is done," he said, adding that foreign affairs and domestic prosperity were indivisible.
"If I don't care and act on this terrorist threat, then the day will come when all our good work on the issues that decide people's lives will be undone because the stability on which our economy ... depends, will vanish."
Mr Blair also mentioned British engineer Kenneth Bigley, who was allegedly abducted by militants 12 days ago, and the two soldiers killed in Basra on Tuesday. "I want to express our condolences to the latest British casualties in Iraq," he said, "and I want to, on behalf of all of us, express our support and solidarity with Ken Bigley and all the Bigley family." -Reuters
