Blair urged to keep US out of Iraq

Egypt is urging Tony Blair to use his influence to dissuade America from taking the war against terrorism into Iraq.

President Mubarak met the Prime Minister in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh yesterday and although no official account of the talks was given, Egypt's foreign minister and prime minister both oppose expanding the war to Iraq's President Saddam Hussein.

Some US hardliners want their government to seize the chance to overthrow President Saddam Hussein, although the British view is that there is no evidence linking the Iraqis to the September 11 attacks.

Egyptian government sources said Mubarak would ask Blair for absolute proof of Iraq's involvement in terrorist attacks.

The foreign minister, Ali Maher, said in the lobby of the same Red Sea resort where Blair and Mubarak met: "Egypt favours cooperation with other countries in the fight against terror. Some other countries believe in confrontation, but we don't.

"We think that expanding the military operations beyond Afghanistan at this point into any Arab country would be counter-productive." Asked if he was referring to the possibility of a war against Iraq, the foreign minister said "yes". He went on to claim that evidence of Iraq's involvement was "very iffy".

He added: "Some countries are jumping to accusations, but we don't believe that our British friends share these opinions." Egypt's prime minister, Atef Abeid, called for dialogue with the Iraqi president. "There is no doubt that al-Qa'eda cells exist in different countries around the world, but that is no reason to start a war," he said.

"All countries in the Middle East are against terror and their governments can handle the problem if they are given assistance from the West. Egyptian officials have become increasingly critical of Western policy towards Iraq.