Mr Tony Blair yesterday described Baghdad's compromise proposal for settling the weapons inspection crisis as "absolutely hopeless", but said diplomatic efforts would continue.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said Mr Blair had used the phrase at a 40-minute cabinet meeting to describe the Iraqi proposal allowing UN inspectors a one-off visit to suspected weapons sites. A Foreign Office spokesman said that, despite the difficulties, there was still a chance of a peaceful solution.
Mr Blair's spokesman said Iraqi weapons had previously been found by inspection teams on only their third or fourth visit to Iraqi sites. One "presidential site" was a military compound the size of Paris and the Iraqi compromise proposals were "just not good enough", Mr Blair told the cabinet.
He added that diplomatic pressure on Iraq was being stepped up and the hard line taken by the US and Britain was winning greater support than press reports suggested.
The Foreign Office spokesman said Britain supported the idea of the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, visiting Iraq as long as the five permanent members of the Security Council could agree on an approach first.
Iraq has this week offered to open eight disputed sites to inspection for 60 days provided Mr Annan and the Security Council took direct control of the search for forbidden arms.
The British Defence Secretary, Mr George Robertson, briefed the cabinet on the military position and on ways of reaching the objective of preventing Iraq developing weapons of mass destruction.
Mark Brennock adds:
EU foreign ministers yesterday expressed support for the diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iraqi crisis but failed to agree a common position on the threat to bomb Iraq.
Following a meeting of EU ministers in Panama, EU officials said ministers called on Iraq to allow the inspection of the suspect sites. Iraq's refusal to allow unrestricted inspections undermined the implementation of the Security Council resolutions, the officials said.
The foreign ministers, who are in Panama for a series of meetings with their Latin American counterparts, met to discuss Iraq following pressure from Luxembourg and Austria, members of the troika of states which conducts EU external relations.
However, EU member-states are deeply divided over whether to support bombing. Germany and Spain may allow the US to use air bases in their countries for any military operation but France is the most prominent opponent in the EU of such action.
Speaking after yesterday's meeting, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said it "remains the Government's firm view that the current impasse can best be resolved by diplomatic means under the aegis of the UN Security Council." As speculation of an imminent US attack without further UN authorisation continues, Mr Andrews noted that "the Security Council can decide on military actions when international peace and security are under threat".