LONDON, Aug 9: US President George W. Bush is prepared to mount a unilateral attack on Iraq if necessary, according to a senior Pentagon adviser, but expects support from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“I have no doubt he would act alone if necessary. But he will not be alone when the time comes,” writes Richard Perle in an article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper published on Friday.

The opinion of the head of the Pentagon’s Defence Policy Board concurs with that of British analysts, who believe Blair will side with the United States if it attacks Iraq.

“I suspect when push comes to shove he (Blair) will go with it,” Toby Dodge, associate fellow at Britain’s Royal Institute of International Affairs think tank said on Thursday.

Perle said last week’s offer by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to return to Iraq would not influence the decision to attack.

“Neither George W. Bush nor Mr Blair will be deflected by Saddam’s diplomatic charm offensive,” he wrote.

The Defence Policy Board is an unofficial but influential think tank. It commissioned a report published this week that recommended blowing up Saudi oil fields and damaging the country’s economy unless it did more to clamp down on “terrorism”.

The Pentagon later distanced itself from the report.

The majority of Britons do not support a war on Iraq — a poll this week found 52 percent opposed an attack while only 34 percent were in favour.

And Britain’s Times newspaper reported on Friday there were signs Blair’s own Labour Party would vote at its annual conference against British involvement.—Reuters