Blair vows no U-turn in support for US in Iraq
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-14 10:51

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised to stay committed to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq as his and the American governments struggle to contain a growing scandal over abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

"This idea that at the time of maximum difficulty you start messing around your main ally, I'm afraid that is not what we are going to do," he told The Independent newspaper in an interview published on Friday.

"The most important thing is that we work with our coalition partners and sort it out, get the security situation right, so the Iraqis themselves are capable of doing the security, which is what they want to do.

"If we succeed in that, that is a huge bonus for the security not just of the region but of the world."

Blair has seen his personal trust ratings plunge over his support for President Bush over Iraq.

His unwavering support has seen discontent grow among members of parliament from his Labor Party who fear Blair has insufficient influence over the U.S. president.

But Blair told The Independent he would not "get into the business of seeing the relationship with America as a list of gains you have made. That is not the way I look at it."

On Thursday his government went on the attack over the treatment of Iraqi detainees with armed forces minister Adam Ingram branding photographs apparently showing British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners as fakes.

Critics say the pictures published in Britain's Daily Mirror have already damaged the reputation of British troops by linking their conduct in Arab minds with that of U.S troops.

Blair said the storm of allegations had made the coalition's task tougher. "We are going through a difficult time," he said. "People should just take a step back and look at the fundamentals.

"Despite the appalling stuff about prisoner abuse, we are trying with the majority of the Iraqi people to get the country on its feet.

"We have just got to make sure we prevail and succeed. It is in the interests of the world that we do. The alternative to that is not one we should contemplate."

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