AMERICAN Secret Service misgivings about the security surrounding President Bush grew last night as tens of thousands of demonstrators prepared to descend on Whitehall today.

Concern that protesters had been allowed to get too close caused Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, to pull out of a ceremony with the Prince of Wales yesterday. Several public events planned for the President’s visit to Tony Blair’s Sedgefield constituency tomorrow are also under review.

American security doubts were raised after a protester scaled the gates of Buckingham Palace on Monday and they intensified after the revelation that an undercover reporter had posed as a footman inside Buckingham Palace. The Prime Minister ordered an immediate Security Commission review into Palace security.

Scotland Yard is also known to be worried by the presence of about 5,000 protesters who have travelled to Britain from elsewhere in continental Europe, many of whom may they believe are prepared to resort to hardcore violence.

In the Commons, Mr Blair rebuked anti-Bush protesters. “It’s about time that we started to realise who our allies are, who our enemies are, stick with the one and fight the other,” he said.

Almost simultaneously, Mr Bush was delivering a keynote speech in which he emphasised the close ties between the two countries, calling Britain America’s “closest friend in the world” and speaking of their joint mission to advance freedom and peace.

Setting out what amounted to a Bush doctrine for the post-September 11 world, the President defended the war against Saddam Hussein, saying: “Duty sometimes requires the violent restraint of violent men. In some cases the measured use of force is all that prevents a world ruled by force.”

Discounting the idea of an early coalition exit from Iraq, he said: “We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq and pay a bitter cost of casualties, and liberate 25 million people, only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins.”

The President argued that the developed world had to confront the threat of global terrorism and that the peace and security of the West rested on “three pillars”. First, free nations had to work through institutions such as the United Nations where possible.

Secondly, when those institutions failed, free nations had the right to act by themselves — to pursue “the violent restraint of violent men”.

Thirdly, they had to pursue democratic reform, especially in the Middle East, because democracies did not vote for war, terrorism or tyrants. Mr Bush argued that “the inhabitants of Iraq’s Baathist hell, with its lavish palaces and torture chambers, with its massive statues and mass graves, do not miss their fugitive dictator”.

In a nod to Mr Blair, he also emphasised the importance of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, demanding a new Palestinian leadership and an end to Israeli settlements.

Away from the speech-making, however, the talk was of a “clash of cultures” between the US security team and their British counterparts. Scotland Yard insists that it is in overall control of security while US officials say they are responsible for the President’s protection.

American bodyguards were unhappy about the presence of demonstrators inside and outside the Senate House of London University, where General Powell was due to receive a Marshall Medal, honouring his contribution to Anglo-American relations. The official reason for his absence was that “this was only ever tentatively on his schedule”.

Protest organisers claimed to have forced Mr Powell’s change of heart. Lindsey German, spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition, said: “We are making it impossible for George Bush and his people to move around as they want.”

Of greater concern to the President’s security team is Scotland Yard’s decision to allow two demonstrations in Whitehall today while the president is there. Amnesty International is staging a demonstration at the gates of Downing Street, and a few hours later 100,000 protesters are expected to march past while the two leaders are having lunch.

Scotland Yard says it is confident of handling the march. The only official response from the White House yesterday was to say: “We have every confidence in the British security.”

Behind the scenes, however, some senior US figures fear that police are taking unnecessary risks by making concessions to protesters. One official said: “We are accused of being jumpy and over zealous but, after what we have seen so far, can you blame us.”

He claimed that the US team was not consulted before police decided to let the demonstration pass through Whitehall. The President dropped a scheduled appearance at the memorial to the British victims of the September 11 attack, preferring to meet some of the families inside the US Embassy in Grovesnor Square.

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