It is "inevitable" al Qaeda terrorists will try to launch a terrorist strike on Britain's shores, Tony Blair has warned.
Being quizzed by MPs, the Prime Minister said it was "inevitable they will try in one form or another" to attack.
But he went on to admit there was no proven link between al Qaeda, the Iraqi regime and the terrorist threat to the UK.
And there was no definite link between the recent poison ricin chemical finds in London and Saddam Hussein.
However, Mr Blair claimed there was a connection between Osama bin Laden's terror network and individuals within Iraq, although he refused to elaborate, and the public would back him in if he sent British forces in to war.
'No terrorist link'
"There is none I know of [intelligence] linking al Qaeda, Iraq and terrorist activity in the UK," he told the Commons Liaison Committee.
"There is some evidence of linkage between Iraq and al Qaeda but I know nothing linking Iraq to September 11 or linking Iraq to recent [terrorist] events in the UK.
"It is the case there is evidence about al Qaeda people in parts of Iraq. There is some evidence to that effect.
"There is no evidence of the Iraqi government and al Qaeda operating in this country."
Nuclear weapons
But Mr Blair stressed that any case for attacking Iraq should be based on evidence the regime is developing weapons of mass destruction - rather than a link to bin Laden.
"I think the justification for what we are doing in respect of Iraq has got to be made separately from any potential link with al Qaeda.
"In my view, the case that we make for disarming Iraq of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] has got to be made on its own terms. I totally understand why public opinion is sceptical about Iraq."
He told MPs there was evidence Iraq was trying to "recons***ute" its nuclear programme and Britain could not "duck" the issue because it would send out the wrong message to countries such as North Korea, which is alleged be developing its own nuclear weapons.
"If America was not raising the issue of weapons of mass destruction, I would be," he said.
Being quizzed by MPs, the Prime Minister said it was "inevitable they will try in one form or another" to attack.
But he went on to admit there was no proven link between al Qaeda, the Iraqi regime and the terrorist threat to the UK.
And there was no definite link between the recent poison ricin chemical finds in London and Saddam Hussein.
However, Mr Blair claimed there was a connection between Osama bin Laden's terror network and individuals within Iraq, although he refused to elaborate, and the public would back him in if he sent British forces in to war.
'No terrorist link'
"There is none I know of [intelligence] linking al Qaeda, Iraq and terrorist activity in the UK," he told the Commons Liaison Committee.
"There is some evidence of linkage between Iraq and al Qaeda but I know nothing linking Iraq to September 11 or linking Iraq to recent [terrorist] events in the UK.
"It is the case there is evidence about al Qaeda people in parts of Iraq. There is some evidence to that effect.
"There is no evidence of the Iraqi government and al Qaeda operating in this country."
Nuclear weapons
But Mr Blair stressed that any case for attacking Iraq should be based on evidence the regime is developing weapons of mass destruction - rather than a link to bin Laden.
"I think the justification for what we are doing in respect of Iraq has got to be made separately from any potential link with al Qaeda.
"In my view, the case that we make for disarming Iraq of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] has got to be made on its own terms. I totally understand why public opinion is sceptical about Iraq."
He told MPs there was evidence Iraq was trying to "recons***ute" its nuclear programme and Britain could not "duck" the issue because it would send out the wrong message to countries such as North Korea, which is alleged be developing its own nuclear weapons.
"If America was not raising the issue of weapons of mass destruction, I would be," he said.
