News that seven Algerian men have been arrested in London on suspicion of producing ricin, a lethal biological toxin, has raised awareness of the potential threat such products pose in terrorist attacks.
No linkage has as yet been made between them and the al-Qaeda organisation, nor has any connection been demonstrated with the Saddam Hussein regime. But the incident has fed in to more general fears about the possibility of a war against Iraq, as British naval forces are dispatched to the Gulf and troops called up from the reserves. The prime minister, Mr Blair, emphasised the continuing threat posed by international terrorism and reasserted his determination to confront Iraq, in a speech to British ambassadors.
Intelligence officers believe their month-long operation against this group has foiled an attack. But they acknowledge that the amount of the poison found was small and there was little evidence of how it might have been distributed. It is, nevertheless, difficult to argue with one officer who said it is possible to draw only one conclusion from the find - that the ricin would only be manufactured to be used, and that it is relatively easy to make. It is an extremely dangerous toxin for which there is no known remedy.
2003 is shaping up to be a particularly difficult year in foreign policy for Mr Blair and his government. The prospect of a war against Iraq is the most immediate and weighty issue they face, raising fundamental questions about the orientation of British policy. Mr Blair insists he will relate constructively to the Bush administration so as to influence its vast concentration of military and political power. But in this speech he also insisted that Mr Bush must "listen back" to international fears over Iraq and other global concerns such as the Middle East peace process, the war on poverty, the UN's status and global warming.
This public articulation of different transatlantic perspectives acknowledges growing disquiet in Britain and Europe about the course of US policy on Iraq. There is no consensus among the major western powers about it - nor, indeed, among British government ministers, diplomats and senior officers. President Chirac has now insisted that any decision to use force "must be explicit, and it must be taken by the United Nations Security Council on the basis of a report by the inspectors".
Germany and Spain have taken up seats on the Security Council (following Ireland's and Norway's just completed two-year terms). Mr Blair must take full account of these other European views because the second major platform in his foreign policy repertoire this year will be relations with the European Union. In his new year message he said there is an "overwhelming" political case for joining the euro, but that it is an economic decision. If Mr Blair fails to deliver on that he faces a loss of influence in the EU, especially if he mishandles the Iraq issue by appearing to be too dependent on Mr Bush.