LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair recognizes he has a tough task ahead to persuade Britons to support war on Iraq. In a Feb. 6 television program, he demonstrated that the case against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a strong one and emphasized the dangers of allowing the Iraqi dictator to defy the United Nations. He also pointed out that the threat that weapons of mass destruction present to Britain is a real one.

No fair-minded person could have doubted his sincerity or his determination not to allow the fear of political unpopularity to deter him from action.

Far from being a warmonger, Blair is concerned about the civilian and military casualties that would result in an Iraq war. He is determined, if it is at all possible, to get a second U.N. resolution passed that would authorize the use of force. He persuasively argues that the alternative of extending and strengthening sanctions would be more damaging to the livelihood of ordinary Iraqis. Moreover, economic sanctions, which are flouted by unscrupulous governments and merchants, are rarely effective.