Blair's 'tremendous' Iraq concerns

Tony Blair was today plunged into fresh controversy over Iraq after a key Arab ally claimed the Prime Minister has "tremendous concerns" about a US-led bid to topple Saddam Hussein.

King Abdullah of Jordan spoke ahead of talks on Iraq with President Bush in Washington.

The king, who met Mr Blair privately at No 10 on Monday, told the Washington Post: "Tony Blair has tremendous concerns about how this would unravel."

He added: "If it seems America says, 'We want to hit Baghdad,' that's not what Jordanians think, or the British, French, Russians, the Chinese and everyone else."

Publicly, Mr Blair has never cast doubt on Britain's support for a US-led attack. President Bush is believed to be ready to start a campaign within months.

But there have been suspicions Mr Blair has used meetings and phone calls to urge caution on the president. Today, however, a No 10 spokeswoman said weapons of mass destruction, believed to have been built up by Saddam, were an issue that "must be addressed".

Meanwhile, Iraqi engineer Khidir Hamza, who aided Iraq's nuclear arms programme before defecting in 1994, has told a US Senate hearing on a possible attack that Saddam could be able to make three nuclear bombs by 2005.