US promises to consult on Iraq

Tony Blair and US Vice-President Dick Cheney today set out to cement the alliance against Iraq, while admitting that the tough military decisions have still to come.

Mr Cheney promised the US will consult fully with Britain and other key allies before any large-scale strike against Saddam Hussein.

Standing side by side at a Downing Street press conference, both Mr Blair and Mr Cheney said that no decisions over how to tackle the Saddam regime and its weapons of mass destruction had yet been taken. But at the same time, Mr Cheney appeared to increase the likelihood that the end result will be a new Gulf war, with a direct clash with Iraq over the demand to send in UN weapons inspectors.

Saddam Hussein yesterday rejected any such proposal, saying his country would not admit UN "spies". This afternoon, Mr Cheney said the US would only be interested in sending in inspectors if they had a completely free hand to go " anywhere, any time".

The Prime Minister and Mr Cheney held half an hour of talks followed by a brief lunch, with the Vice-President preparing to travel onwards to an intensive diplomatic effort, taking in 11 Middle Eastern countries to strengthen the coalition against terrorism.

Downing Street was saying little about the talks. Whitehall sources pointed to that as further evidence that the detailed planning and hard talking has yet to come.

The Bush administration, six months after the original terror strike against America, is itself divided over what action to take. Few doubt that an attempt to topple Saddam will be made in some form but action looks unlikely before autumn at the earliest.

The next stage from the British side will come early next month when Mr Blair travels to Washington for talks, followed by two days at the President's Texas ranch.

There was one uneasy moment at today's press conference when Mr Cheney appeared to suggest that America was graciously allowing Britain a choice in whether to join military action.

He said: "Were the US to undertake further military action that involved our British allies it would be done only in the closest possible consultation and to coordination. Britain certainly would retain the right to decide whether or not to participate."

Mr Cheney went on to draw a contrast with the US barriers to steel imports, taken without British participation or assent. Sources said that Mr Blair had reaffirmed to the Vice President Britain's objections to the tariffs on steel, with their threat of a new trade war.

Meanwhile, David Blunkett today became the latest Cabinet minister to voice public concern over British backing for a war in Iraq.

Mr Blunkett is reckoned to be among the Cabinet hawks. However, his words on Today, on BBC Radio 4, laid bare the concerns within the Cabinet, even among those backing military action. He said the Cabinet had held an "intelligent" discussion about action and there were real issues about "the impact it would have globally ... in terms of social cohesion, and what is taking place in the Middle East".

He added: "There is no point going to war unless you know what the objective is."