Iraq war will not be won overnight, says Bair

1.30am

The US-led military campaign in Iraq is going well but the war will not be won overnight, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today.

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, where he has been attending a summit of European leaders, Blair said there were signs of continuing Iraqi desertions and division at all levels of President Saddam Hussein's regime.

"But I should warn that our forces will face resistance and that the campaign, necessarily, will not achieve all its objectives overnight," he added.

"The course of action we are taking is the right one and we must see this mission through to the end."

On disagreements within the European Union over the decision to invade Iraq, Blair insisted there was support within the bloc for his government's hawkish stance.

"There is considerable support, political and practical... for the position we have taken," he said, adding that an EU text on the reconstruction of post-war Iraq, agreed yesterday, was "a good deal more positive" than expected.

"There is a real understanding that the Iraqi humanitarian disaster is here and now," he said.

Blair, who is risking his political future by following the United States into war, said he was no less enthusiastic about the future of Europe, despite the rift over Iraq.

He said there was no point in dwelling on a very public disagreement with the French on how to deal with Saddam, and added that an honest, open debate was needed about longer term relations between Washington and the EU.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq