In recent years, few solicitors' firms have avoided redundancies or moving staff to short-time working, while others have closed or merged, and Law Society of Scotland chief executive Lorna Jack warned the hard times were continuing.

BBC: Glasgow High Court

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the Foreign Office already warned of a high terrorism risk there and he would only warn against travel if there was an imminent threat of terrorism, an endemic threat or where law and order have broken down.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Survivors speak of bomb horrors

And Jack Jones, from the Transport and General Workers' Union, warned that workers' wages were already suffering through cuts in overtime and short time working.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | 1975 economic fears are laid bare

Rice warned against a political vacuum, as did her traveling companion, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

NPR: Rice, Straw Visit Iraq, Prod Leaders on Government