Blair, the staunchest US ally on disarming Iraq by force, was told that "attacks on a limited number of command and control targets were being brought forward" in early hours of Thursday, earlier reports quoted a spokesman for Blair as saying.

Blair would meet with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon, International Development Minister Clare Short and Home Secretary David Blunkett.

He was expected to meet his full cabinet later at 10:00 am on Thursday.

Blair has planned to travel to Brussels for a two-day EU summit starting later Thursday.

Shortly after the US air raid on Iraq, a spokeswoman told Xinhua that there was no early-morning indication that this plan would be changed.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2003)