US develops superbomb

The US has made a superbomb which could be used to frighten Iraq into submission.

The giant device contains 21,000lb of high explosive and dwarfs the huge "daisy cutter" bombs used against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon intends to test the bomb and videotape the results as a warning to Iraq of what the US could inflict.

Military planners believe just the sight of the bomb exploding could frighten Iraqi soldiers into surrendering.

Tape of a test of a superbomb was shown on American TV last night, the cloud of its explosion almost as large as a small atomic blast.

The development demonstrates the length to which US military planners are ready to go but risks an international outcry and yet more opposition in the United Nations.

Washington and London suffered a double setback in their desperate effort to secure a second UN resolution when France, backed by Russia, said it would vote against.

President Jacques Chirac declared that his country would vote no "whatever the circumstances, because we do not think war is necessary to achieve the goal we've established."

Russia's Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov said that his country would also vote against.

The White House appeared to have accepted that France is ready to use its power to veto a resolution, fracturing the United Nations and creating a massive transatlantic split.

However, the US continued its effort to win the nine votes necessary to secure a majority of the 15-member Security Council.

President Bush phoned eight world leaders in the continuing effort to win international support.

At Downing Street Tony Blair was said to have "cleared his diary" for the same mission. There were still hopes that America would be able to win the nine votes required. But the resolution looked set to fall at the hands of at least one of the five permanent members.

As the diplomatic efforts continued, the timing of the vote, originally planned for today, slid back. More significantly, Britain and America signalled that they were ready to compromise over the deadline for a disarmament agreement from Iraq, set last week for 17 March.

That deadline, it was suggested, could now be pushed back "by a few days".

Mr Blair today faced a widening Labour revolt over Iraq and a steep slide in public support as his problems on the home front deepened.

Fewer than one in five voters is ready to back his determination to go to war, if necessary, without the authority of the United Nations.

A bare majority, 52 per cent, believe Britain should join America in military action against Iraq even if the UN agrees. That figure is down from 62 per cent a month ago despite the intense effort by the Prime Minister to win the hearts and minds of the voters.

The figures in the latest poll by Populus for The Times also show support for the Government at a severe low - though Mr Blair's personal ratings are up. And it sharpened the resolve of Labour's rebels.

Clare Short remained under suspended sentence of execution as a Cabinet minister following her weekend revolt and her attack on the Prime Minister's Iraq policy as "reckless".

There were continued suggestions that she might jump at any time before she was pushed. Failing that, though, there appeared to be only two outcomes for the International Development Secretary - that she will resign, as she has threatened, if Britain goes to war without UN assent - or that she will, eventually, be sacked if a UN backed conflict goes ahead. The anger in Labour's high command at the way she jolted the Government and Mr Blair at a critical time was tempered only by the desire not to make her a martyr.

But at the same time more individuals stepped forward among Labour's junior ranks to warn that they were ready to follow Ms Short's example.

Dennis Turner, who is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ms Short, the first step for those hoping to climb the ministerial ladder, said that his future was "inextricably linked" with hers. Another MP, Lorna Fitzsimons, also said that she would "think long and hard" about her position in the event of an unauthorised conflict.

Her voice was significant because she is an aide to Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons and the member of the Cabinet, along with Ms Short, who has most clearly harboured doubts about Mr Blair's approach. A third aide, Russell Brown, PPS to the Leader of the Lords, Lord Williams of Mostyn, also signalled that he would depart.

Mores serious for the Prime Minister is the risk that a swathe of ministers up to and including Cabinet level would also choose to walk.

If that were coupled with a mass revolt in the Commons forcing Mr Blair to rely on Tory support, some Labour MPs were to beginning to think the unthinkable and discuss a leadership coup, possible via a special party conference.

That notion was no more than a thought among a handful of the hard Left-wingers who have been bitterly at odds with Mr. Blair from the start of his leadership and, so far, there was no evidence that it would attract enough support to become reality.