As the debate on a possible war with Iraq started at the United Nations yesterday, tabloid newspapers in London and New York took comment away from editorial pages and cartoons and plonked it on the front page, right in readers' faces.

The cover of the Valentine's Day edition of the Daily Mirror was occupied by a huge cut-out heart set on a pale-pink background. Inset, was a photograph of Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister and Labour party leader, lips a-pucker, locked in a passionate clinch (thanks to the miracles of computer photo manipulation) with George W. Bush, the U.S. President.

"Make love, not war," said the caption in the paper that has traditionally supported Labour though it is now to the left of Mr. Blair.

As it was Valentine's Day, the Mirror's women's page editor encouraged readers to find stimulation in the unlikeliest of places. "There's nothing like the impending threat of a dirty bomb to get your thinking, well, at least a little bit dirty," she wrote.

In an editorial, the Mirror touted its anti-war line on the grounds of expediency. It pointed out Britain was closer to Iraq and Islamic terrorists than the United States.

"[T]he planned war against Iraq has made the situation worse, particularly for this country. We are a prime target now --and an easier one than America ...

"The moment our guard goes down could be when the terrorists strike. That is the awful situation we are in -- and it will get worse if our forces join the Americans to remove Saddam Hussein.

In New York, the Post, one of media magnate Rupert Murdoch's U.S. holdings, took up the gauntlet.

Its front-page photograph showed what looked like a normal shot of delegates to the United Nations. But closer examination revealed that the heads of the French and German representatives had been replaced by those of weasels.

Inside, the paper puzzled over Germany and France's keenness to preserve Saddam Hussein's rule.

"Could it be that a successful overthrow of Saddam might put Western troops in possession of information that would be extremely embarrassing to both countries, and especially Germany?" it asked, pointing out German companies have been Iraq's biggest supplier of modern weapons and dual-use technology.

"Given the pacifist claims of German premier Gerhard Schroeder, and given Germany's own history of using poison gas against civilians, the confirmation of these reports would be devastating, to put it mildly."

The Mirror's great rival, the Sun, was uncharacteristically restrained, photographically at least. Under its new female editor, the titian-haired Rebekah Wade, the Murdoch-owned paper led with the Venezuelan man who was stopped at Gatwick airport with a live hand grenade in his luggage.

Inside it was a different matter: under the headline "True friend," it lectured Mr. Blair. "TONY BLAIR should have learned an important lesson by now. All those people in Europe he feels so close to couldn't give a monkey's about him," the editorial said.

"It's simple, Tony. In Europe, it's every man for himself. Stick with the friend you can trust through and through -- America."

The paper concentrated its photomontage efforts on the hapless Sven-Goran Eriksson, manager of the England soccer squad. Following Wednesday's 3-1 defeat by Australia, Mr. Eriksson's head has been inserted into the body of a kangaroo. "Get tough or hop off," the Sun warned.

awordsworth@nationalpost.com