PM admits removing Saddam from power is campaign's aim

Removing Saddam Hussein from power is now an explicit aim of the war with Iraq, Tony Blair confirmed yesterday.

He spelt out the policy of regime change for the first time during Prime Minister's Questions. "If the only means of achieving the disarmament of Iraq of weapons of mass destruction is the removal of the regime, then the removal of the regime of course has to be our objective," he said.

"Now we are left with the prospect of either leaving him in place without disarming him or making sure that we remove him from power.

"If we do remove Saddam from power, as I believe we will have to because it is the only way of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, I earnestly say that the people that will rejoice most will be the Iraqi people who will be free of the murderous tyrant who has done nothing but damage to his country."

Mr Blair made no attempt to deny that war was now imminent, indicating that the offer of immunity for President Saddam if he stepped down had expired.

In a further signal that war is looming, Mr Blair answered detailed questions about the reconstruction of Iraq after any conflict and reassured MPs that everything would be done to protect civilians and Iraq's religious and historic sites.

Mr Blair urged a sombre House of Commons to unite behind Britain's armed forces in "wishing them well and wishing them safety".

Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, asked the Prime Minister: "Now that war is looming and Saddam Hussein's days are clearly numbered, will you tell us what plans there are to put in place a civilian representative government in Iraq?"

Mr Blair said: "We are in discussion now, not just with the US but other allies and the UN. We want to ensure that any post-conflict authority in Iraq is endorsed and authorised by a new UN resolution.

"That will be an important part of bringing the international community back together again."