NO one pretends Saddam Hussein is a nice man. There will scarcely be a nation anywhere in the world that will not rejoice when his evil, despotic and barbaric regime is toppled.

That said we should all have to live by the rule of international law. War cannot be declared against a country merely because we don't like it.

If that was the case the West would be in conflict with dozens of tinpot dictatorships, not too dissimilar from Saddam's.

We must abide by the standards we expect of other nations. We cannot condemn aggression by others, yet condone it when it suits us.

The pivotal role played by the United Nations in policing the military potential of Iraq has thus far ensured that the principles of international law have been maintained.

However, it is difficult to expect Iraq to prove a negative - that it does not have weapons of mass destruction. As the prosecutor on behalf of the rest of the world, it should be up to the UN inspectors to prove that Iraq is armed to such an extent that it constitutes a threat to peace and security.

For President Bush to declare that Iraq has violated a UN resolution on disarmament is both hasty and presumptive.

It demonstrates that the President sees the UN's inspection as no more than a cosmetic exercise. Long before the UN has reached its considered verdict, the President has found Saddam guilty as charged.

The sentence passed by the United States will be invasion and the overthrow of Saddam.

By by-passing the UN in such a manner, the President will win few friends in the rest of the world, where the case against Iraq remains undetermined.

By being seen to be so keen on war, the US risks alienating world opinion.

It is imperative that the UN has the final say on the matter. Effectively declaring himself to be the policeman of the world, President Bush is setting a dangerous course.

Tony Blair will be unwise to slavishly follow his lead.