Wider Attack on Iraq Could be soon: British Defense Minister

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 20, 2003

Wider Attack on Iraq Could be soon: British Defense Minister

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It would not be long before the US-led attack intensifies, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Thursday, less than five hours after US President George W. Bush announced the start of the war against Iraq.

In the first official comment from the British government on the on-going US-led military action against Iraq, Hoon told BBC Television that the purpose of Thursday's attacks was "to deal with the leadership (of Iraq), the threat to our safety and security posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in the hands of an absolutely appalling group of people."

Asked whether he still expected Britain to join the United States in a massive "shock and awe" attack on Iraq, Hoon said: "You will have to wait and see, but I think it's clear you won't have to wait very long."

UK forces are on a "very, very high" level of readiness, Hoon said, adding that the US air strikes on Iraq in early hours of Thursday was part of "preliminary operations."

Earlier, British Defense sources said there was no British involvement in the strikes on Iraq, while Hoon said there was absolute UK-US openness in the first part of the attack on Iraq.

"There is absolute openness and close cooperation between the countries engaged in the preliminary stages of the military operation," Hoon said.

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