Britain 'May Back US Attack on Iraq'

Britain would be prepared to back the United States in military action against Iraq under "the right conditions", Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said yesterday.

He emphasised that no decisions had been taken about an attack on Baghdad. But he said that the September 11 attacks had "concentrated minds" on the threat posed by states like Iraq.

President Bush alarmed many politicians in Europe when he described Iraq, Iran and North Korea as "an axis of evil" and hinted that he would use pre-emptive military strikes to protect America from countries developing weapons of mass destruction.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hoon said: "I am confident that if the right conditions were set out that we would support the United States."

The conditions for an attack could include Iraq refusing to observe international law and UN resolutions on weapons inspectors, he said.

The Defence Secretary pointed out that Iraq could do much to lift the threat of attack if it agreed to the return of UN weapons inspectors.