The US Senate has given final congressional approval to a resolution authorising President George W. Bush to wage war if necessary to disarm Iraq.
Handing Mr Bush a major victory, the Democratic-led Senate cleared the war powers resolution after long debate last night. The Republican-led House of Representatives voted 296-133 for the measure.
The Senate voted 77-23 for the war powers resolution negotiated between the White House and congressional leaders. It backs a possible use of force to rid Iraq of suspected weapons of mass destruction and possibly oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Mr Bush has sought the congressional resolution as the United States presses the UN Security Council to adopt a tough new measure demanding that Saddam abandon any programs for biological, chemical or nuclear weapons or face possible military consequences.
Iraq pledged to give up weapons of mass destruction following the 1991 Gulf War. But the Bush administration accuses Saddam of developing those weapons in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions - a charge Iraq denies.