US gives Blix more time, but edges closer to conflict

The US yesterday extended an olive branch to Europe over Iraq, but left no doubt that it is set to go to war this spring to topple Saddam Hussein – with or without a second United Nations resolution authorising force.

In Washington, senior officials said they would accept an extension of "several weeks" in UN weapons inspections, while Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, promised that the Bush administration would "patiently" judge the first full report by the inspectors, to be delivered to the Security Council tomorrow. The US would then consult with its allies. "There is no set cut-off date for ending inspections," one official said.

But General Powell, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the annual economic forum of world business leaders, had a stern warning for America's reluctant allies. The international community, he said, could not shrink from its responsibility to disarm Iraq by force if necessary, just because "the going is getting tough".

The report by Hans Blix, the chief UN inspector, kicks off a key week in what still seems an unstoppable countdown to war. On Tuesday, President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to argue that Iraq poses a real threat and must be dealt with now.

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Mr Bush's strongest ally against Iraq, goes to Camp David on Friday for a summit that could set a date for war to begin. He has been quietly pressing for the inspectors to be given more time.

Washington calculates that the extra weeks may make even countries reluctant to use force realise that inspections are getting nowhere. This would improve the chances of a second UN resolution specifically authorising force, which even Britain is keen to secure.

A delay would also dovetail with the US military build-up in the Gulf. Despite the flurry of deployments ordered by the Pentagon, the planned 150,000-strong force will not be in place until late February. The weather in early March would still be cool enough for ground operations.

Mr Bush still faces an uphill battle to secure the nine Security Council votes a new resolution would need to pass, and to avoid a veto by one of the permanent members. Of these, France is seen as most dangerous hold-out, though many officials here doubt Paris would actually vote against the US. Nonetheless, General Powell claimed yesterday that, while many countries would prefer a second resolution, even without one "at least a dozen" countries would be ready to join a "coalition of the willing".

In the event of war, the US plans to fire up to 800 cruise missiles in the first two days of the air campaign, more than twice as many as it fired in the 40-day Gulf War in 1991. The idea, Pentagon officials said, is an aerial bombardment so intense that Iraqi forces will be disabled and demoralised, making a ground assault unnecessary. The strategy leak was clearly deliberate, signalling to Iraqi commanders what they will face if war does break out, and increasing pressure on them to remove Saddam before it begins.

Mr Blair has his own battle, dealing with anti-war sentiment within the Labour Party. Officials are expected to use a procedural device to prevent the war from being discussed at the party's national executive meeting on Tuesday.