As the US moves closer to a military strike against Iraq, President Clinton says that it is not too late for President Saddam Hussein to avoid an attack by complying with UN resolutions. On a sterner note he warned Baghdad, saying the US was "determined" to prevent Iraq from developing and using deadly chemical weapons.
The US Senate is preparing to pass a resolution fully supporting the use of force against Iraq if that is deemed necessary. The Republican leadership in Congress has indicated that Mr Clinton should not be deterred from military action because of the present crisis at the White House over Ms Monica Lewinsky's allegations.
Following a meeting with the 12 US regional military commanders in Washington yesterday, Mr Clinton repeated his pledge in the State of the Union address that Mr Saddam will be denied the capacity to use weapons of mass destruction again.
He also discussed the growing crisis with Iraq with the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Jean Chretien, by telephone. He is expected to have similar discussions in the days ahead with President Yeltsin and President Chirac of France. He has already spoken to the German Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
The White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, said that Mr Clinton would make a decision on the timing of a future attack when he had reports from the Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, and the Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, who will be touring the Middle East in the near future.
Ms Albright yesterday began a tour of European countries which were part of the coalition that opposed Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. Mr Cohen said yesterday that a strike against Iraq was not a foregone conclusion. The US was still seeking a resolution through diplomatic channels. But if there was going to be military action, he hoped the US would have support from its friends in the Gulf.
Defence experts are still discussing the details of a future air strike in which British aircraft are expected to be involved. The Senate Intelligence Committee was told by a State Department intelligence official that there were "enormous gaps" in what the US knows about the deployment of Iraq's weapons arsenal and biological and chemical laboratories.
Agencies add: France and the US agreed last night that "all options are open" to force Iraq to allow UN weapons inspections.
"At this stage all options remain open," the French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, said following talks with the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright."
US officials said Ms Albright was "encouraged" by Mr Vedrine's statement, which was seen as a softening of French opposition to a possible military attack.
Russia, however, sharply criticised the UN chief arms inspector, Mr Richard Butler, for making "inappropriate" remarks in which he said Iraq had enough biological material to "blow away Tel Aviv".
"The so-called public diplomacy of Richard Butler and his contemplation of possible new measures which could be taken by the Security Council are beyond the mandate of the UN Special Commission," a Moscow Foreign Ministry spokesman said.