Poll shows support is waning

Public support for the war in Iraq showed the first sign of slipping today from the high levels it reached when the conflict began.

A YouGov survey found that 54 per cent of voters backed the military action, down from 59 per cent four days ago. The decrease was only small and there were still many more people supporting the war than opposing it (38 per cent).

But the poll also found that the number of people thinking the attack on Saddam's regime is going either "very well" or "fairly well" has significantly slipped. A week ago, this figure was 84 per cent but now, after days of reports of ambushes, a suicide bombing and harsher than expected Iraqi resistance, it has fallen to 65 per cent.

The Daily Telegraph poll also showed the number of people thinking the war would be over within a month has fallen to 25 per cent. As well as providing food for thought for Tony Blair, the survey made grim reading for former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who claimed he wanted Britain to withdraw from the coalition and send its troops home.

Just 26 per cent agreed with him while 66 per cent said his attack on the Government in a Sunday newspaper was wrong. Mr Cook was today facing a "knifing" from ex-Cabinet colleagues furious over his outburst. The former Commons Leader, who resigned from the Government over his opposition to the conflict, staged a climbdown from his earlier claim that: "I've had my fill of this bloody and unnecessary war."

He claimed he wanted Britain to "see the job through" and said there could be "no question of letting Saddam off the hook". However, his U-turn cut no ice at Downing Street, and ministers were being urged to take to the airwaves. As ministers launched the attack, Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien claimed he had heard Mr Cook's comments "with great sadness".

He added: "This is not the time to say such things, Robin, and I am sorry that you have done it." Some Labour MPs, including another former minister, Doug Henderson, agreed with Mr Cook and claimed British forces should be withdrawn from the "hellish" situation in Iraq.

Anti-war MP Glenda Jackson said today that British and US leaders needed to show "common sense and humanity" in what was going to be a long conflict. But Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, an opponent of military action before the war, claimed British troops should be given "every possible moral support - for as long as it takes."

Protests against the coalition action continued to grow around the world with Malaysia's foreign minister accusing US and British forces of committing "terrorism" in Iraq.

In Pakistan some 400 doctors demonstrated saying they were ready to send teams of physicians to the embattled country. The doctors chanted anti-American slogans, calling the US the "number one terrorists".