Row over Bush security as Blair defends visit

Tony Blair last night launched an impassioned defence of George Bush's visit to London next week and pleaded with anti-war protesters to put the arguments about war behind them and focus on Iraq's future.

With a week to go before the US president arrives, the promise of the three-day visit is already acting as a magnet for protesters and anarchists from all over Europe.

The Guardian learned last night of tension between US security agents, who want an exclusion zone round the president, and the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, who wants the demonstrators to be guaranteed as much freedom as possible. The Metropolitan police are caught in the middle.

Mr Blair devoted the bulk of his annual foreign policy speech at the Guildhall in London to Mr Bush's state visit. Confronting critics who say political embarrassment lies ahead and that he must regret having issued the invitation, Mr Blair insisted he was not nervous: "I believe this is exactly the right time for him to come."

He adopted an apocalyptic tone to justify Mr Bush's visit, saying the battle for Iraq was more important than most people realised. "It is a battle of seminal importance for the early 21st century. It will define relations between the Muslim world and the west. It will influence profoundly the development of Arab states and the Middle East," he said.

The Stop the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain hope that 100,000 protesters will take to the streets. Scotland Yard has cancelled all leave for the three days Mr Bush will be in London. About 3,800 British police will be involved in the £4m security operation, in addition to up to 250 armed US secret service agents.

Sir John Stevens, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, is in a position of acute sensitivity. While the White House is insisting on maximum security, Mr Livingstone's office has made clear to Scotland Yard its insistence that those who want to are left free to demonstrate. One source said: "The view was expressed that a legitimate protest must be facilitated."

He said comparisons were being drawn to the visit of President Jiang Zemin of China in 1999. When he rode up The Mall, police stopped protesters from holding up banners and Tibetan flags. "There must be no repeat of that fiasco," said the source.

Members of London's Police Authority have also expressed concern, insisting that the bill for the police operation not be paid by local ratepayers. Eric Ollerenshaw, who is also leader of the Conservative group on the London assembly, said: "We must be sure that the government pays and we must look at where all these police officers are going to be coming from."

Mr Bush will arrive on Tuesday and is scheduled to make a speech the following day. Much of his time will be spent with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, a useful photo opportunity for next year's presidential election and one he will not want marred by huge demonstrations.

Mr Blair, in his speech at the lord mayor's banquet, said: "For many, the script of the visit has already been written. There will be demonstrations. His friends wonder at the timing. His enemies rub their hands at the potential embar rassment." Mr Blair said they were all wrong.

The visit comes at a bad time for the prime minister, with his advisers anxious to get the agenda back to domestic issues after almost a year consumed by Iraq. Mr Bush's presence in London will reignite the arguments over the war.

According to a Populus/ Times poll released today, more than half of British voters (60%) believe the close personal relationship between Mr Bush and Mr Blair is bad for Britain.

Mr Blair said: "I say to those who will protest when President Bush comes: protest if you will. That is your democratic right. Attack the decision to go to war, though have the integrity to realise that without it, those Iraqis now tasting freedom would still be under the lash of Saddam, his sons and their henchmen.

"But accept that the task now is not to argue about what has been, but to make what is happening now work, and work for the very Iraqis we all say we want to help."

Mr Blair acknowledged the confrontation with France over Iraq and the continuing fall-out from it. "It is true also that there is an antipathy in parts of the French political es tablishment to America. But don't exaggerate it."

The Blair-Bush relationship is likely to come under particular scrutiny in the light of the surprise decision by the US supreme court yesterday to hear appeals from Guantanamo Bay inmates for access to the US legal system. Two of the inmates whose cases will be heard are Britons, Shafiq Rasul and Asif Iqbal. This will put pressure on the government to clarify its position on the detention without trial of its citizens in arguments before the supreme court.

Here is an excerpt from a Manchester student group email list that went to my cousin in college there. (She sent it to me because she was worried. Looks ok to me, but I'll let Freepers be the judges.)

The list-serv email:

Be Alarmed! Be angry! Be prepared! The Texan Village idiot is on tour.... George bush's visit to Britain is being scaled down every time we hear more about it. His "victorious state parade" has been called off because of fear of the protests that it will meet. His address to parliament has been called of because of worries that MPs will walk out. Now we hear that policing has been put on high alert because of the feared reaction to the mass murderers presence. We need to build the biggest movement and most militant actions to meet the challenge.

Demonstrate Thursday 20th Coach tickets are now available for the London demonstration for only £10. Tickets at this price are going fast so get them quick. They are on sale from the stw stalls held regularly in the union between 12.45 and 3pm, as well as all other Stop the War activities. The more help we have the more tickets we can sell so if you have any free time get in touch and help out. This will be the most exciting militant demonstration London has seen in years and the best chance we get to show the world how popular bomber Bush really is just as the heat is rising in the US.

Strike, Walk out, Protest on Wednesday 19th Life must not go on as normal when the killer arrives. Last year Manchester students pulled off some amazing walkouts and spontaneous demonstrations, which had a huge impact. However, we were upstaged by a school student's strike and demonstration that shook the city to its very foundations. When Bush arrives we need to follow their example and shut down the university, showing the strength of the feeling on campus.

Bands against Bush – Give peace a dance… Thurs 12th Everyone needs to relax, even anti war activists. And in that spirit Man Uni STW have put together a line up of Manchester's very finest for you to enjoy. With entry only £3.50 (with 2 pounds off if you get a coach ticket for the London demonstration. This is a fundraising event to allow us to subsidise the tickets for the demonstration. We have held them before and they have been successful. Bring your mates and show that anti-war activity isn't all that hard. At Zumbar Oxford rd.

Petition Not the most glamorous activity I admit. But the anti- war/anti-Bush feeling is everywhere. By collecting signatures and really pushing the petition we can start to tell more and more people the George is coming to Britain and what is going on to stop him. Not only that but a mass petition of millions of names would provide an amazing publicity stunt for the anti-war movement on the day before Bush arrives. Get the petition at www.stopwar.org.uk

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