Blair warned:
Independent.
The advice, which is highly confidential, has led the
Foreign Office to warn
Senior government sources say the Prime Minister has also
received conflicting legal opinion from law officers that current UN
resolutions could offer sufficient cover for any military action.
But the very fact that even one part of Government has been
told an attack could be illegal will delight the many Labour MPs worried that
Mr Blair will unilaterally back an American assault.
The legal advice in favour of a new UN resolution is in tune
with similar calls made by Dr Rowan Williams, the incoming Archbishop of
Canterbury.
Many Labour backbenchers, including former ministers such as
Peter Kilfoyle, have warned that the party will be
split for years if
MPs are now sure to demand publication of the advice from
government lawyers.
Although Mr Blair stressed last week that the world was
"not at the point of decision," it is clear that some in Downing
Street are determined that Britain should back America whenever it does decide
to attack.
A YouGov internet poll shows 51
per cent opposed to action against
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