OLD socialists George Robertson and Robin Cook are turning out to be unexpectedly good in a crisis.

Most people feel the Defence and Foreign Secretaries are acquitting themselves well in the latest Balkan conflict.

The former left wing agitators have been in Government less than two years and have already twice been pitched into the political front line of a bombing campaign - first in Iraq and now in Yugoslavia.

Impressed

Even former Armed Forces Minister Nicholas Soames - a Tory grandee to his fingertips - was moved to say: "I have been very impressed with George Robertson and they way he has conducted these affairs so far."

The word from Tony Blair's Cabinet is that their careful and frequent briefing of colleagues has ensured no dissent. Indeed, Overseas Development Secretary Clare Short's impassioned defence of the air strikes showed that even the loosest cannon in the Cabinet is firmly trained on the Serbs.

There is little doubt that the Cabinet as a whole believes this latest conflict is a "just war" and that the type of ethnic cleansing and attacks on the Kosovar Albanians being unleashed now would have happened with or without the NATO assault.

Respect

One close aide to Mr Cook remarked: "I don't think going to war for humanitarian reasons has ever been a problem with the left. What is military force for if not to save people's lives?"

The conflict has raised the political profiles and respect of both men.

Mr Cook seems to find this clear cut approach to diplomacy easier than some of the more complex niceties of peace time while his close relationship with US counterpart Madeleine Albright has paid dividends.

His left wing credentials and long time support for unilateral and nuclear disarmament makes it more difficult for left wing critics to tackle him head on.

Mr Robertson has earned a huge respect among military chiefs not noted for their liking of Labour politicians and has struck up a close and trusting relationship with Chief of the Defence staff, General Sir Charles Guthrie.

Insiders admire the fact that he knows exactly where the line between operational military matters and politics is to be drawn - unlike some of his Tory predecessors.

One MoD source remarked: "George leaves the military commanders to get on with the fighting.

"He doesn't try to play toy solders from his office in Whitehall, unlike one or two other Defence Secretaries I could mention - most notably Tom King."

The chemistry between Mr Cook - not the easiest of colleagues - and Mr Robertson is also working well.

They realise where the dividing line between defence and foreign policy is to be drawn and Cabinet colleagues have been deeply impressed by the way in which they have worked and briefed together over recent months.

Indeed Mr Cook is finding that waging a war is making his reputation - ironic considering his political history.

His diplomatic gaffes and personal problems have faded away as he has displayed a mature command of the world stage and a certain personal humanity.

But despite the confident handling of the situation so far and the Prime Ministerial shield offered by Tony Blair's strong support for the action, the deeper criticism about NATO's long term strategy will not go away.

For both, the really difficult times could be only just beginning.

Their hopes that air action alone would bomb the Serbs back to the negotiating table now look wildly optimistic and claims that a second phase of tank busting attacks on Serb armour and troops could halt the assault on the Kosovar Albanians also look wide of the mark.

Unless President Milosevic unexpectedly backs down, it looks as though we are in for a lengthy campaign.

With the American reluctance to risk "body bags" returning across the Atlantic, the likelihood is that any ground forces deployed would be European, and mainly British.

President Slobodan Milosevic is gambling that he can face down NATO's forces, Mr Cook and Mr Robertson know they are wagering not just their political reputations but Servicemen's lives on their opponents backing down.

Risk

If the war does drag on and NATO and British casualties are high with little sign of victory, things will look very different in the summer.

There is a real risk they could lose control of events both in Yugoslavia and Britain, allowing us to see how they behave under real pressure.

How they react will give the clearest indication yet of whether they have the ability to hold down such positions in time of war - the ultimate test of whether they are mere politicians or true statesmen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.