Britain urges people to help catch bombers

Blair met opposition leaders yesterday for a summit on possible changes to British anti-terror laws after the London bombings, including police demands to hold suspects without charge for up to three months.

The Downing Street meeting also discussed whether parliament, which began its extended summer break last week, might have to be recalled, Michael Howard, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party said after the talks ended

Howard and Charles Kennedy, leader of the smaller Liberal Democrats attended the meeting from 9:00 am (0800 GMT), along with interior minister Charles Clarke and the other two parties' home affairs spokesmen.

Last week, Blair met security service and police chiefs to discuss possible moves including a call by top policemen to extend the time terror suspects can be held from 14 days to as much as three months.

A controversial notion of allowing secret phone taps to be presented as court evidence was also considered on Tuesday.

After the meeting, Blair made an impassioned plea for the world to unite against terrorism and refuse to "give one inch" to their demands.

Repeatedly quizzed at a Downing Street press conference about whether the London bombings this month might have been prompted in some way by the Iraq war, Blair rounded angrily on his critics.

The battle against terrorism must be unequivocal, he insisted.

Blair said he supported giving police expanded powers of detention under proposed changes to anti-terrorist laws in the wake of the London bombings.

"I think it's perfectly reasonable for us in circumstances of great difficulty to have a greater detention in order that there can be the interrogation of people who are suspected of doing this," he told reporters.

"People rightly expect us to take the right measures to increase their security."

Top policemen have called for an extension of the time terror suspects can be held from 14 days to as much as three months.

On another fast-moving day in Britain's biggest manhunt, police said on Monday two men had been arrested under anti-terrorism laws -- bringing the total in custody to five -- but warned they could not rule out another attack.

Police are still hunting for the four suspected bombers behind botched attacks on London's transport network on July 21 that have raised fears among residents that the city is now a firm target for Islamist militants.

At the same time, Blair said he was "desperately sorry" for a major error in the hunt for the attackers, the death on Friday of a young Brazilian electrician who was shot eight times by anti-terror police.

Armed police raided a housing estate in north London used by at least one of the suspected bombers, as police chiefs said they were racing against time to stop any further attacks by militants they link to al-Qaeda.

Newspapers said on Tuesday one suspect had lived in a flat on the estate and had claimed 23,000 pounds ($39,990) of state money or so-called "benefits" to pay the rent over six years.

Under the headline "Bomber on Benefits," the top-selling Sun tabloid said 24-year-old Yasin Hassan Omar -- named on Monday as one of the suspects pictured in security camera footage -- helped plot the July 21 attacks while living in the flat.

It said the Home Office (interior ministry) was checking his immigration status.