Iraq stood firm yesterday in the face of a verbal broadside from President Clinton and a unanimous UN Security Council resolution condemning Baghdad's stance on arms inspections.
The US Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, meanwhile wound up his trip to the Middle East, in which he has sought to enlist Arab support for Washington's anti-Baghdad alliance.
Mr Clinton said the decision of President Saddam Hussein to suspend co-operation with UN inspectors searching for banned weapons of mass destruction was "totally unacceptable" and that inspections must resume immediately.
Mr Clinton was speaking on Thursday after the Security Council condemned Iraq's violation by a unanimous 15-0 and once more said all options were open to gain compliance - a deliberate reference to possible military strikes. In response, Iraq's official press said millions of Iraqis were training to thwart any possible punitive attack.
Britain said shortly after the vote that the Security Council had legal justification to use force against Iraq if Baghdad failed to co-operate. Iraq responded bitterly. "America and Britain have imposed a new resolution in order to inflict more harm against the Iraqi people and to prolong the unjust embargo," Mr AbdulGhani Abdul-Ghafur, senior member to the regional command of the ruling Ba'ath party, said yesterday.
Iraq suspended co-operation from Saturday last until the Security Council reviews sanctions imposed for its 1990 Kuwait invasion.
"Iraq will not retreat from its decision unless there is a clear response (from the Security Council) to Iraq's legitimate demand to lift the unjust embargo," said Mr Abdul-Ghafur, a former information minister.
Mr Cohen, who arrived in Turkey yesterday, said he had found Gulf Arab states "united in their condemnation" of Mr Saddam. He told reporters: "We believe we will have the support we need, and all options are on the table." During the week, the US and its allies have referred repeatedly to the possible use of military strikes. Analysts say this could come as a long-range missile strike, instead of a costly military build-up.
Mr Clinton said on Thursday that he was sending his National Security Adviser, Mr Sandy Berger, to Europe this weekend to consult allies.
Britain's Defence Secretary, Mr George Robertson, is to visit Kuwait tomorrow and will fly to Bahrain on Monday. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Robin Cook, could visit Saudi Arabia at around the same time, according to western officials.