Arms inspectors step up search

Weapons inspectors stepped up their search for evidence of Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction with visits to 11 key sites yesterday.

The United Nations team, headed by Hans Blix, also demanded access to a list of scientists it wants to interview ahead of its preliminary report to the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday.

As the team carried out its painstaking work in two rooms at an infectious diseases centre from which it had been locked out the previous day, at the main Iraqi nuclear centre and in a Scud missile factory, Iraqi opposition groups met in London to try to overcome their differences and plan a joint vision for a post-Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq.

Comprising independents and representatives from more than 50 disparate parties, 350 delegates were in London for the meeting which has been postponed several times due to infighting.

Military contingency planning continued in the United States and the UK amid suggestions that the British Government must decide within 10 days whether to go for the war option. It was also reported that thousands of British troops were to begin deploying to the Gulf next month to build up forces.

But the Ministry of Defence yesterday moved to play down the idea Britain was gearing up for war. A spokeswoman said: "A decision is not imminent nor is it inevitable given that we are pursuing the diplomatic route. There is no decision on when anything might happen at the moment but we are contingency planning."

The Government is still awaiting the findings of the weapons inspectors and the analysis of the 12,000-page Iraqi declaration on arms. Both British and US intelligence services have leaked information that the Iraqi dossier will not match their own evidence of Saddam's military capability, suggesting a willingness to make the case for military action against Iraq for even a perceived breach of UN Resolution 1441.

Experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency warned they would need a "few months" to reach a conclusion about Iraq's declaration on its weapons programme.

Many British MPs – and, if polling data can be trusted, many members of the public – believe any action against Iraq must only be with the full backing of the UN acting on evidence of a breach of the Security Council resolution.

But if US President George Bush decides to act alone, Tony Blair may have to take steps to overcome local political difficulties.

British military support has already been promised. Mr Blair has pledged that Britain was prepared to play a "substantial role", though stressing the need to pursue the UN route.

Mr Blair already faces opposition from within his own party over plans to allow the US to incorporate the Fylingdales radar station in North Yorkshire into the new "Son of Star Wars" missile defence system. The US is expected to make a formal request to use the base in the next week. But MPs are already warning the proposed multibillion dollar system is "very dangerous".

There will be a demonstration outside the US Embassy in London today as Americans opposed to war stage a 24-hour vigil.