THE US: US President George Bush has warned Iraq time was running out for it to come clean over any weapons of mass destruction, and a top UN arms inspector demanded more co-operation from Baghdad.
"I'm sick and tired of games and deception," Mr Bush said in Washington, signalling impatience with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as UN inspections yield little evidence to support US and British charges that Iraq has arms of mass destruction.
"I haven't seen any evidence that he has disarmed. Time is running out on Saddam Hussein. He must disarm," he added.
Britain, which has joined Washington in a huge build-up of warplanes, ships and tens of thousands of troops in the oil-rich Gulf region, said it was ready like the US to go to war against Iraq with or without a fresh UN resolution.
The Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said Britain wanted a new UN Security Council resolution authorising force if Iraq defied a November resolution on disarmament - but that it was not vital.
"We've had to reserve our rights [to use force] if we can't achieve that," said Mr Straw, underlining there was no question of London and Washington easing their tough line on Iraq despite growing calls across the world against war or hasty decisions.
Iraq said yesterday it had already come clean about arms programmes and that President Saddam Hussein would fight to the bitter end.
"Saddam Hussein is a courageous leader and will stay in Iraq for a very long time and fight until the last Iraqi bullet," Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mr Mohamed ElBaradei made clear he and fellow top UN inspector, Mr Hans Blix, were going to Baghdad this weekend to demand more evidence that Iraq had no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or long-range missiles.
"We still need further co-operation on the part of Iraq," the International Atomic Energy Agency chief said in Moscow.
"We need more information, we still need more interviews with Iraqis. We would like to see physical evidence of destruction of weapons of mass destruction."
Iraq says it has no such weapons, having destroyed anything that would have breached UN resolutions before inspectors returned to Iraq last November after a four-year break.
This weekend's talks in Baghdad will be key to a major report that Mr Blix and Mr ElBaradei are due to make to the UN Security Council on January 27th on Iraqi compliance.
UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, said on Tuesday the inspectors in Iraq should be given more time to do their work but warned Baghdad it could face war if it defied UN mandates.
"I don't think from where I stand we are at that stage yet. I think the inspectors are just getting up to full speed," Mr Annan told a news conference.
But he added the UN Security Council would have to act if Iraq did not comply.
"If disarmament were to succeed that is the end of the story. Otherwise the council will have to face up to its responsibilities and take the necessary action," he said. - (Reuters)