DEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon insists war against Iraq is not inevitable.

It is a contention difficult to square with the decision to prepare 30,000 soldiers for action in the Gulf.

Once the British forces arrive, it will mean that a combined might of 130,000 US and British troops are ready to face Saddam Hussein.

Has there been another occasion when so much military personnel and hardware have been assembled without leading to a conflict?

Let us hope that this is history in the making.

There is a degree of logic in Mr Hoon's stance. The military build-up in the Gulf certainly gives the Iraqi regime the clearest indication that the US and Britain are not bluffing.

And if the flexing of military muscle is what it takes to ensure Saddam is disarmed,then it is a price worth paying.

The danger, however, is that the momentum towards war is becoming unstoppable. With every soldier called up for action, hopes fade for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Having gone so far down the line, the Bush and Blair coalition appears more and more locked into the military solution.

The diplomatic solution, pursued by the United Nations, is looking increasingly irrelevant.

However, it is imperative we pull back from the brink. Military action must only be contemplated when the diplomatic alternatives are exhausted, and must be sanctioned by the international community through the UN.

It will smack of hypocrisy for George Bush and Tony Blair to condemn Saddam for flouting UN resolutions, only for them to ignore the UN by ordering unilateral action.

Dispute dogged by mistakes

HAD it not been for mistakes and ill-judgements made by all parties, the firefighters' pay dispute could have been settled.

Today's walk-out by the Fire Brigades Union will not bring us any closer to a settlement.

It is time for the FBU, the local government employers and the Government to make concerted efforts to break the deadlock before further strikes go ahead.

The union has to acknowledge that modernisation is necessary, but the Government must convince both firefighters and the general public that safety will not be compromised by reform.