THE Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary yesterday dutifully played the role of staunch allies of the United States.

Without hesitation, they insisted they backed the response of the US to the Iraqi insurgence and that the handover of power to the Iraqis would still go ahead of June 30.

In public, the unequivocal support is to be expected. In private, however, Mr Blair and Mr Hoon must have grave misgivings about the turn of events in Iraq and America's handling of the crisis.

The concern for Mr Blair and Mr Hoon is that the uprisings will spiral out of control, and spread to the south of the country and Basra, where thus far British forces have tended to defuse and not create tension.

Whatever he may say in public, the time has come for Mr Blair to voice a very different opinion in private. He has that opportunity when he meets President Bush on Friday.

The President must be told in no uncertain terms that the heavy-handed tactics adopted by the US are ill-judged. You don't go about winning the hearts and minds of ordinary Iraqis by, as Lord Hurd puts it, filling hospitals and mortuaries.

If the June 30 deadline is to retain any credibility then the US must drop its policy of confrontation for one of conciliation.

The growing feeling of resentment to the US within Iraq will not disappear until its troops are viewed as peacekeepers, not invaders.

Consequently, Friday's talks are an ideal opportunity for Mr Blair to impress on the President the need for greater United Nations involvement in Iraq.

A peacekeeping force under the banner of the UN, instead of the Stars and Stripes, has a better chance of winning hearts and minds in Iraq.