Blair flying off to meet Bush and Annan
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Your support makes all the difference.Tony Blair, preparing for a hasty summit in Washington to discuss post–war Iraq, said today that "nobody should be surprised" that coalition forces have met resistance and predicted difficulties ahead.
"There will be resistance all the way to the end of this campaign," Mr Blair said at his second news conference since the invasion began.
"It will take time and perseverance and the continuing skill and dedication and professionalism of our armed forces to break it down."
A huge amount had already been achieved," and he said British forces had "secured" the port town of Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. He added that they were engaging Iraqi combatants around Basra.
"Nobody, least of all the forces loyal to Saddam, should be in any doubt that the resistance will be broken down and that the goals of the coalition forces will be met," Blair said.
The US–British strategy was unfolding exactly according to plan and he denied that more troops were required. "We have the forces we need to do the job."
He added: "Iraq and its security apparatus exists to support the regime of Saddam Hussein. Nobody should be surprised therefore that there are parts of the armed forces determined to fight, for they know that when the regime falls, which it will, they will have nowhere to go."
The Prime Minister said he would fly to Washington tomorrow.
"I will see President Bush at Camp David to discuss not just the military campaign, but also the diplomatic implications of recent events for the future, in particular how we get America and Europe working again, not as rivals but as partners," Blair said.
Mr Blair will spend tomorrow evening and most of Thursday at Camp David with Mr Bush and then fly to New York where he will meet the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and discuss humanitarian concerns before flying home on Thursday night.
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