British Prime Minister Tony Blair, declaring that Saddam Hussein must be stopped, told his ministerial team today there was no doubt Iraq was continuing to build weapons that could wreak havoc.
As British officials forecast a draft UN Security Council resolution on Iraq would be tabled in days, Mr Blair met his cabinet to persuade some sceptical members that the Iraqi president posed a serious threat to world security.
Mr Blair revealed a dossier of intelligence on Saddam. It will be made public on tomorrow ahead of a full parliamentary debate.
His message was stark - inaction is not an option. "The prime minister said the issue of Iraq and weapons of mass destruction is real, serious and the problem has grown worse in four years without inspections," a spokesman for Blair said.
"There is no doubt...that Saddam is continuing with his WMD programme. We are not talking about historic leftovers but an ongoing, continuing programme," Mr Blair was quoted as saying.
Mr Blair, Washington's staunchest ally since last year's September 11th attacks, faces a dilemma - whether to remain at President George W. Bush's shoulder wielding some influence, or ease growing domestic disquiet.
A diplomatic source, who has seen the dossier, said it still failed to answer conclusively the key question -- Why attack Iraq now?