Blair warns MPs not to be 'naive'

Middle East crisis

Israel to pull out of West Bank towns as US steps up pressure

Clerics, civilians and Palestinian gunmen defy Israelis

Witnesses tell how elderly were used as human shields for tank forces

Powell plays for high stakes on the opening leg of peace mission

Saddam shuts off oil over Israeli invasion

Tony Blair will attempt to silence his Labour critics tomorrow with a Commons statement on the Middle East and an impassioned plea for MPs not to be "naïve" about Saddam Hussein.

The twin-track strategy will be deployed by the Prime Minister when he attends a meeting of the full Parliamentary Labour Party to explain his foreign policy goals to restive backbenchers.

Mr Blair will stress that Britain and the United States will be backing a new UN-led effort to tackle the Middle East conflict, with a security council resolution embodying Saudi peace plans.

The proposals by Crown Prince Abdullah aim to grant Arab recognition of Israel in return for a lasting settlement for the Palestinians. The emphasis on the United Nations involvement is an attempt to address the concerns of many Labour MPs worried by Mr Blair's warning of military action and "regime change" in Iraq.

He will make clear no "precipitate action" would be taken against President Saddam, but will also stress the determination to remove the threat posed by the dictator's weapons of mass destruction.

The Prime Minister's message will be backed by John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, who may speak in his support at the meeting.