Daily Mirror (tabloid)

From Richard Wallace, US Editor, In New York PRESIDENT Bush was last night savaged by rival Al Gore who warned that going after Saddam Hussein without international support could seriously damage the war on terror and make America global outlaws.

Former Vice President Gore - who narrowly lost to Bush in the 2000 presidential race - pointed out how isolated the Bush administration had become on Iraq.

He mocked: "If you're going after Jesse James you ought to organise the posse first."

In one of the most dramatic anti-war speeches yet heard in America, Gore accused Bush of playing politics over Iraq to exploit the forthcoming Senate elections.

He said the President was squandering the goodwill of the world after September 11, insisting that the Iraq problem was not urgent and there was still not enough proof that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

Gore said existing UN resolutions against Baghdad were already sufficient and a new one was unnecessary. He said: "I don't think we need one if he's in breach, which he is."

Gore added: "It's impossible to succeed against terrorism unless we have the continuing sustained co-operation of many nations.

"Many of our allies in Europe and Asia are thus far opposed to what President Bush is doing and the few who do support us have conditioned their support on the passage of a new UN resolution.""

Gore also pointed to the growing opposition in Britain to war against Iraq.

He said: "Tony Blair, who I think is a fantastic leader, has been getting into trouble with the British electorate because of the doubts."

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2002