Thousands of Welsh troops are in the Gulf

Sixteen Labour MPs signalled their opposition to the conflict by backing the anti-war amendment - among an estimated 139 Labour MPs to vote against Tony Blair's stance on Iraq.

After considering his position, Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane - parliamentary private secretary to Welsh Secretary Peter Hain - sided with the prime minister.

Mr Ruane was considered the most likely Welsh member of the government to quit following the resignations of cabinet minister Robin Cook, Health Minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Home Office Minister John Denham.

Vote

It means two-thirds of Labour back benchers in Wales voted against the government.

Four MPs who voted for the government two weeks ago switched sides to oppose their party's leadership.

Bush: Televised address to the USA

They were: Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West), Ian Lucas (Wrexham), Win Griffiths (Bridgend) and Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney).

MPs divided for the vote after a nine-hour debate about whether Britain should to war.

Back in Wales, First Minister Rhodri Morgan has so far refused to share his opinions.

He told AMs on Tuesday that he would assess the debate and Parliamentary vote before forming his own views.

Proceedings in Cardiff Bay were halted for a short time after a disturbance in the chamber which resulted in protesters being carried out as members began talking about a possible debate on the Iraq crisis.

Military

In his address to the Common at lunchtime on Tuesday, Prime Minister Tony Blair warned that backing down now would only make Saddam Hussein stronger.

It follows a speech early on Tuesday morning in which US President George W Bush gave the Iraqi leader and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq or face invasion.

As around 2,000 military personnel from Wales prepare for war in the Gulf, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said he was confident people in Wales support Tony Blair.

"This is a really difficult and tough decision we have had to face up to," he said.

"Saddam is a brutal tyrant - he has been defying the UN for 12 years - he has killed probably two million people.

'Resolve'

"If there is concern about casualties in action, imagine what has happened already and what will happen in the future if we leave him unchecked."

And a senior Labour MP has called on the French government to dispatch an envoy to Baghdad immediately to call on Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq and save his people ahead of the impending conflict.

Martyn Jones MP, Chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee in the House of Commons said: "Time is running out and conflict sadly now looks certain."

Ahead of the vote in the Commons, Plaid Cymru MP Simon Thomas said he thought Robin Cook's resignation would have "stiffened the resolve" of potential Labour rebels, and said he feared action without international agreement.

'Democracy'

"The way this situation has led us to be isolated from most of the rest of Europe is the key factor," he said.

And Tory MP Nigel Evans, also the Shadow Welsh Secretary, said it did not matter that the Tories were voting for the substantive motion.

"Whoever Tony Blair has to rely on, it is the Parliament itself that will be endorsing the action that will take place, and that is what democracy is all about," he said.