The United States expects the UN Security Council to vote next week on a new resolution to resume Iraqi arms inspections as US and French officials tried to narrow their remaining differences.
Mr Bush last night repeated his demands for a rigorous investigation of Iraq's suspected weapons programmes when he met the UN chief weapons inspector, Mr Hans Blix, last night.
Washington says it is ready to give the arms inspectors time to do their work, seeking evidence of a suspected weapons programme, once they return to Iraq after a four-year break. But it is warning Baghdad that noncompliance will swiftly return the issue to the United Nations.
Iraq accused the United States of attempting to interfere with the inspectors' work, saying Mr Bush's meeting with Mr Blix showed Washington wanted to "impose their policy on Iraq and not follow the Security Council or the United Nations' rules".
US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell said he expected debate on the US resolution to end soon. "We are narrowing the differences. I think we are getting much closer," he said. "I think this is all going to happen, certainly by the end of the next week".
Mr Powell discussed the resolution with the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Britain. "I think the gap is extremely close but there is still back and forth between Washington and Paris," a key council diplomat told reporters.
Washington's latest position is that it reserves the right to take action against Iraq without UN approval if the Security Council refuses to respond to a clear Iraqi violation of the UN disarmament requirements.
But France wants to make sure the US-drafted resolution has no hidden "triggers" the United States could use to launch a war against Iraq, overthrow Saddam and then claim the United Nations authorised its actions.