Ministers soften Iraq stance

A Government minister today played down the threat of war in Iraq by insisting a military strike was " not imminent, nor inevitable".

Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien distanced Britain from American calls for " regime change" to oust Saddam Hussein, and said the West's only objective was to get United Nations weapons inspectors back into Iraq.

His tone was in sharp contrast to the warnings emerging from President Bush's US administration.

While Tony Blair said two weeks ago that war was not "imminent", events have since escalated, with Washington insiders claiming an attack is likely within months.

Mr O'Brien was speaking on a visit to Libya where he is due to meet Colonel Gadaffy in the first such trip by a British minister for 19 years, following the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher in London.

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "We have been very clear that an attack on Iraq is not imminent. The ball is now in Saddam Hussein's court.

"He must make sure the inspectors go into Iraq and that international law is complied with. If international law is complied with, of course the situation will be very different."

"While regime change might well be desirable - - I don't know anyone in Britain who thinks they want to see Saddam Hussein remain there - our objective is clear. We want to see the inspectors in Iraq with the full right to inspect where they need to, so there is no threat from weapons of mass destruction."

His tone suggests that Britain has softened its approach since Iraq's move last week to resume talks with the UN, whose weapons inspectors left the country complaining they were being denied access to key sites.