SEDGEFIELD, England, 4 September — British Prime Minister Tony Blair broke his long silence on Iraq yesterday and attempted to clarify his position.

“The position is this: Iraq is a real threat to the security of the region and the rest of the world. Saddam Hussain is continuing in his efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, that means biological, chemical and nuclear. He’s in breach of UN resolutions and confronted with this reality, we have to face up to it and deal with it. How we deal with it is under discussion. That we will deal with it is not in doubt.”

Blair broadened the issue by describing it as a global threat that required the world community to be involved.

“This isn’t just an issue for the US, it is an issue for Britain and the wider world. I do believe that the threat presented by the current regime is real. I believe it is in the UK’s national interests that it is addressed, just as dealing with the terrorists after 9/11 was in our interests, even though the actual terrorist act took place thousands of miles away in New York, not London.”

Convincing evidence against Saddam and Iraq’s alleged development of weapons of mass destruction will be made public in a matter of weeks, he said.

In his first substantial remarks on Iraq in more than five weeks, Blair said the debate on whether a US-led military strike against Saddam had moved on — and it was time to put the facts before the public.

“Originally I had the intention that we wouldn’t get round to publishing the dossier until we had actually taken the key decisions,” he told a press conference in his home constituency in Sedgefield, northeastern England. “But I think probably it’s a better idea to bring that forward,” he said. “A lot of work has already been done. There needs to be some more work and some more checking done, but I think probably the best thing to do is to publish that (evidence) within the next few weeks,” he said.

Asked what evidence he had for the threats that Iraq is said to pose, Blair offered nothing substantially new. He noted that Saddam was in breach of 9 resolutions and 23 of 27 demands imposed upon it. He added that furthermore “vast stocks of chemicals and chemical weapons are unaccounted for, that if Saddam is not contained he will use his weapons, he will and has used them on the own people.” As final evidence he pointed out that it was particularly suspicious that Saddam has refused weapons inspectors into Iraq for 4 years. Last time they went in, he said, they uncovered so much it was a severe embarrassment to the regime. The route through the UN was, the only natural one to take, because it is the UN resolutions he is in breach of. “We want to see how the situation develops,” Blair said. “We need the broadest base of international support. The policy of containment is not working and in the light of Sept. 11, it is sensible to see these problems coming and do something about it.”

Blair emphasized that his close relationship with the US on the issue was based on his belief that it was simply right to address it. He said that it was not a sudden decision to act; Iraq had obstinately refused to comply with the UN for 10 years. The 9/11 incident added a new urgency to it, though.

When ask why, if a dossier exists containing evidence of Iraq’s buildup of weapons of mass destruction, why hadn’t it been produced, Blair said that he had intended to publish it after a decision over action had been taken. As yet, no decision had been made. “I think now it is a better idea to publish it in the next few weeks.”

Blair admitted that if war finally became a reality, it would be the result of one of the most difficult and reluctantly made decisions a leader can make. He said sending in the military and knowing there would be civilian casualties has to be balanced almost “believing what is right”.