Saddam's choices - exile or war

Saddam Hussein must either voluntarily go into exile or be disarmed by force, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has declared.

In a statement in Downing Street following an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, Mr Prescott said the diplomatic process had now broken down.

He told reporters: "There now are only two options left. Either Saddam goes into exile or is disarmed by force. Tomorrow the Prime Minister will be asking for support should that ultimate action of the last resort be needed. He will also be setting out the humanitarian effort that will be required to rebuild Iraq from the ravages of the Saddam era, and our continuing commitment to the Middle East peace process."

The Government regretted the failure to get a new UN resolution against Iraq due to the "intransigence" of the French and the "non-compliance" of Iraq, he added.

Mr Prescott briefed journalists on the Cabinet's discussions. He said: "The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary reported that the diplomatic process had broken down and that we had been unable to break the deadlock. "

Mr Prescott continued: "Jack Straw will make a statement on the diplomatic crisis in the Commons later today. There will also be a business statement to allow the House to debate this tomorrow.

"The Prime Minister will lead that debate and ask the House and the country to support our efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction.

"Nobody has tried harder than our Government and our Prime Minister to resolve this diplomatically. But once France made clear they could veto a new resolution, whatever the circumstances, it became impossible to move forward."

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