Blair flying to US for Iraq talks with Bush
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair is to fly to America for urgent talks over Iraq with US President George Bush, it was announced today.
Mr Blair will discuss the threat posed by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, and how the issue should be tackled.
The two leaders will meet at the President’s Camp David retreat.
On Tuesday, Mr Blair made clear his determination to stand squarely with the US President over the Iraqi issue, describing Saddam as a "real and unique threat" to the Middle East and the wider world.
Today, the British Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Camp David talks would provide "a useful opportunity to go over the issues flowing from Saddam’s continuing violation of the UN resolutions".
In Washington, President Bush said he looked forward to talking with Prime Minister Blair about "our mutual concerns about how to make the world more secure today".
As well as meeting Mr Blair, President Bush will seek to rally support for his strategy on Iraq in phone calls to the leaders of China, Russia and France.
He is expected to meet Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on Monday in Detroit.
The President is also due to address the UN General Assembly on September 12.
President Bush said: "I will first remind the United Nations that for 11 long years Saddam Hussein has sidestepped, crawfished, wheedled out of any agreement he made not to develop weapons of mass destruction," President Bush told reporters after meeting Congressional leaders for talks on Iraq.
"And so I’m going to call upon the world to recognise that he is stiffing the world."
Following his meeting with Congressional leaders, the President said he looked forward to an "open dialogue” with Congress and the American people about the threat posed by Iraq.
"At the appropriate time this administration will go to the Congress to seek approval for the necessary to deal with the threat.
"At the same time I’m going to deal with our friends in the world."
The trip to Camp David, near Washington, will be particularly welcome to Mr Blair, given recent reports suggesting that Downing Street was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of clear guidance from the White House about the President’s plans with regard to Iraq.
Richard Holbrooke, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that at least half a dozen senior British officials and other people close to No 10 had privately expressed their unease at the lack of information coming out of Washington.
Mr Holbrooke quoted one senior official at No 10 as complaining to him that the Bush administration was "giving Blair nothing" despite the British Prime Minister’s strong support for the US over Iraq.
The Camp David talks will help Mr Blair to counter critics who claim he is committing himself to backing the US without having adequate information about President Bush’s intentions towards Baghdad.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged at the weekend that there was a need for Washington to consult more closely with its allies.
The Ministry of Defence also confirmed at the weekend that Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is to visit the US for a six-day trip surrounding the first anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
Mr Hoon’s visit will include talks on that date with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, regarded as the chief "hawk" in the US administration pushing the case for military action against Iraq.
