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Blair set for grilling on Saddam Blair plays down Iraq troop boost
(about 10 hours later)
Tony Blair is expected to face a grilling over the manner of Saddam Hussein's execution when he faces MPs during prime minister's questions. Tony Blair has implied no more UK troops will be sent to Iraq, despite an expected commitment from the US to send another 20,000 soldiers to Baghdad.
On Tuesday, Mr Blair described the taunting of the former Iraqi leader before he went to the gallows as "completely wrong". The prime minister said British troops did not face the same difficulties in Basra that had necessitated the security boost in the Iraqi capital.
But critics have asked why the prime minister waited until almost two weeks after the execution to speak out. He said Iraqi forces were expected to take over more policing in Basra.
Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said this did Mr Blair "no credit". But Sir Menzies Campbell said terrorists could move from Baghdad to Basra as more US troops move in.
'A real test' Mr Blair was asked at his weekly question time session how many British troops he expected to commit, in light of the expected announcement from President Bush.
Mobile phone footage shows the former Iraqi leader - a Sunni - being taunted with Shia slogans before his death. Sunni insurgency
At the weekend, Chancellor Gordon Brown described the manner of Saddam's hanging as "deplorable and unacceptable". He told MPs: "In relation to Basra the situation is different in some very critical respects.
On Tuesday, Mr Blair told a Downing Street press conference: "As has been very obvious from the comments of other ministers and indeed my own official spokesman, the manner of the execution of Saddam was completely wrong. "We do not have the same Sunni-Shia sectarian violence, we do not have al-Qaeda operating in the same way and we do not have the Sunni insurgency operating in the same way."
"But that should not blind us to the crimes he committed against his own people, including the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis; one million casualties in the Iran-Iraq war, and the use of chemical weapons against his own people, wiping out entire villages of people. "There has been an operation that the British have been conducting over the past few months that will be completed in the next few weeks.
"So the crimes that Saddam committed do not excuse the manner of his execution, and the manner of his execution does not excuse the crimes. "That operation, I'm pleased to say, has been successful, up to now. That will allow the Iraqis to take over more and more control of their own policing and security in Basra."
"Now I think that's a perfectly sensible position that most people would reasonably accept". Terrorist 'displacement'
During prime minister's questions, from 1200GMT, Mr Blair is also expected to be questioned over wider policy in Iraq. He said the aim of the US announcement would be the same - to allow the Iraqis to take over security progressively.
But Sir Menzies said: "The assumption behind that answer is that there will be no displacement of terrorist activity from Baghdad to Basra, which is an assumption that is very difficult to make at this stage."
He asked when Britain could expect an independent foreign policy - Mr Blair replied by defending the "important" alliance with the US.
Mr Blair was also asked if 2007 would see a "new and improved policy" in Iraq. He told MPs the policy remained the same, but once the operation in Basra was completed he would be happy to report back to the House of Commons.
President George Bush is thought likely on Wednesday to reveal a plan to send more US troops to Iraq, in an effort to improve security.President George Bush is thought likely on Wednesday to reveal a plan to send more US troops to Iraq, in an effort to improve security.
Sir Menzies called the issue "a real test for the prime minister". Sir Menzies has called the issue "a real test for the prime minister" and said Mr Blair must "assert the independence of British policy towards Iraq."
He added: "It is essential that he asserts the independence of British policy towards Iraq.
"President Bush's determination to send thousands more troops, against the conclusions of the James Baker Iraq Study Group recommendations, is not a strategy that Britain should follow or endorse.
"A British strategy should be one based on phased withdrawal sooner rather than later."