British Prime Minister Tony Blair today left Downing Street for a “last push” summit with President George Bush in the Azores as Saddam Hussein put Iraq on a war footing.
Mr Blair, President Bush and Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar will attempt to find a way of achieving consensus in the United Nations Security Council over Iraq, although many believe the talks will be a council of war.
The summit is designed to salvage what the three leaders can of their second resolution setting a deadline – initially for tomorrow – for Saddam to disarm.
But Mr Aznar and Chancellor Gordon Brown today made clear that the US, Britain and Spain believe they already have legal authority for war under existing UN resolutions.