A NEW British-American strategy to keep Saddam Hussein ''caged'' after the bruising bombardment of Operation Desert Fox was revealed yesterday by Tony Blair.
The Prime Minister warned that the allies will use force against Iraq again if he threatens international stability.
The strategy, designed to ''put him back firmly in the cage and secure it'', was outlined by Mr Blair in London as the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible headed for the Gulf last night.
As part of the ''strategy of containment,'' the 20,000-tonne ship will arrive with its 1200 crew next month, after the Muslim festival of Ramadan has ended.
In Washington the military operation against Iraq appeared to have boosted President Bill Clinton's popularity despite Saturday's historic impeachment vote in the House of Representatives.
An NBC poll taken after the vote showed Mr Clinton's support had risen from 68% to 72%.
Mr Clinton's lawyers were yesterday preparing legal arguments for a trial of the President in the Senate. Greg Craig, the White House special counsel, said the President's legal team was planning a ''vigorous defence in a fair, even-handed way''.
Mr Blair and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Charles Guthrie, also revealed details of the intensive onslaught unleashed over Iraq in the campaign which ended on Saturday night. They claimed Saddam's military machine had been put back years.
Mr Blair insisted that Britain and the US ''were extremely careful to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure'' but Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, Nizar Hamdoon, claimed the attacks had killed or wounded thousands of people.
Saddam yesterday praised Iraqis and thanked them for their efforts and sacrifices since the start of the operation, telling them they had achieved victory over the ''enemies of God and humanity''.
Mr Blair said the threat of force should work alongside tougher enforcement of existing sanctions; new diplomatic initiatives to develop a dialogue with Iraq; exploring ways to get a fairer deal for the Iraqi people; encouraging Saddam's internal opposition; and even contemplating how UN weapons inspectors could return.
The Prime Minister insisted: ''First, foremost, we must maintain the threat of force which he (Saddam) now knows is credible. Our forces will remain ready to strike if necessary, if he again poses a threat to his neighbours or develops weapons of mass destruction.''
But the Tories called off their political truce and criticised the Prime Minister for refusing to make the removal of Saddam Hussein an explicit policy objective.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs and defence spokesman Menzies Campbell also said Britain should be ''very cautious about believing that Saddam Hussein will have learned his lesson''.
It emerged yesterday that
precision bombing of just 93 targets - including a ballistic missile factory and barracks of the Iraqi leader's elite Republican Guard - was the key to inflicting severe damage on Saddam's huge military machine.
In the first detailed analysis of Operation Desert Fox, it was disclosed that more than 500 sorties were flown by British and American planes, including 250 bombing raids, and 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched.
According to military experts, maps rather than munitions were the key to Allied success, with thousands of reconnaissance flights turning Saddam's private domain into the best-surveyed territory in the world.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Blair said that, over four days, the operation had involved:
q More than 400 cruise missiles - more than were launched in the Gulf War.
q More than 200 aircraft strikes, including those launched by RAF Tornados from their base at Ali Al Salem in Kuwait.
q Attacks on nearly 100 sites, which included 30 weapons of mass destruction targets.
q Attacks on 27 air defence targets, and hits on 20 command control and communication targets.
q Attacks on 10 Republican Guard targets, and on six airfield targets.
He said: ''We have severely damaged Saddam's ability to produce and repair ballistic missiles. We have severely set back his chemical, biological and unmanned drone programmes. His air defence radar, control centres, and communication facilities in southern Iraq have been severely damaged and will take years to replace.''
Mr Blair rejected the notion that, because Saddam could not be toppled, Britain should have stood back.
The Ministry of Defence disclosed last night that a Tornado mission into Iraq was called off for safety reasons after a key element in the mission became ''unavailable''.
A spokesman denied suggestions that the mission had been unexpectedly called back when orders came through to cease Operation Desert Fox.
Last night, Mr Blair spoke by telephone to two commanders at the Ali Al Salem base and to the Tornado squadron's station commander, Group Captain Alan Hudson, at its home base of Lossiemouth.
Mr Blair told him how he could not sleep at night during the operation until he knew they had all returned safely to base from their missions over Iraq.
He said he was very proud of the squadron and President Clinton had said the British fliers had earned the respect and admiration of the American people.
The crisis that just runs and runs
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Precision bombing
the key to success
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Leader comment
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Ruth Wishart and
Keith Aitken write
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