Clear signals are emerging from the US and Arab states that a full-scale attack on Iraq could happen despite Saddam Hussein¿s decision to readmit weapons inspectors.
US President George W Bush will soon propose a congressional resolution authorising action in the belief he can still obtain United Nations support.
Mr Bush told reporters after meeting congressional leaders he had received a commitment to pass an Iraq resolution before the pre-election break in October.
"It's important for us to work with Congress to pass a strong resolution. I told the members that within the next couple of days this administration will develop language that we think is necessary, and we look forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get a resolution passed," he said.
A resolution would send an important signal of US determination to the world, Mr Bush said.
Saddam's offer was a ruse to avoid international pressure, the president added. "He deceives, he delays, he denies. And the United States and, I'm convinced the world community, aren't going to fall for that kind of rhetoric by him again."
Senate Democratic leader Mr Tom Daschle, a key player in debate over a congressional resolution, also said he was confident the United Nations would eventually close ranks.
"I think the United Nations was thrown off to a certain extent by his [Saddam's] actions over the course of the last 24 to 48 hours, but I believe by the end of the day the United Nations is going to be where it needs to be, standing strong in opposition to his ploy and recognizing that it's just that," Mr Daschle said.
The US resolve comes as German newspaper Die Zeitprepares to publish an interview with a potential successor to Saddam, Mr Sharif Ali bin Hussein, in which he says an attack is likely by early next year.
Mr Sharif, leader of the Constitutional Monarchy Movement said in an interview to be published tomorrow: "The crisis will soon come to a head, by February next year at the latest. In fact, we reckon that the Americans, based on what they are preparing, how they are talking, will intervene militarily before the end of the year."
The head of the opposition Iraqi National Congress, Mr Ahmad Chalabi, told Die Zeitin a separate interview that he did not think the Iraqi army would support Saddam in the event of a US-led strike.
"The Iraqi people want to free themselves and the United States will help them. The Iraqi army will not defend Saddam," he said.
"I cannot say how many American troops will be needed, but it should be a lot less than the hundreds of thousands that were being talked about".
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also today argued that the return of weapons inspectors would not prevent the US from attacking.
In an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai Al-Aam, Prince Faisal said he hoped the US would not attack but added: "I do not expect the nightmare of war to go away or the region to be spared catastrophes."
The Saudi foreign minister had said on Sunday that his country would co-operate in a US-led attack on Iraq if it were under UN mandate. But today restated that Saudi territory could only be used with the backing of an international mandate and that an "unjustified attack" would not get Saudi assistance.
"Bases [in the kingdom used by US forces] have well-known objectives," he said. "These are defensive, not offensive, and we do not object to their use in keeping with these objectives."
Kuwaiti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah also warned crisis in the region still loomed.
Iraq's announcement on Monday that it would allow the inspectors to return for the first time in four years had not come as a surprise, he said.
"The world is used to the Iraqi regime's refusal to comply with UN resolutions until the last minute," said Sheikh Mohammad, adding he hoped Baghdad was "serious" this time round.
Gulf newspapers, while voicing satisfaction at Baghdad's move, also warned that the United States is likely to go ahead with plans to oust President Saddam Hussein.
"The Iraq issue will not be resolved by Iraq's acceptance of the return of inspectors. America will seek excuses to apply its hostile plans," wrote Dubai-based Al-Bayan.
United Arab Emirates' Al-Khaleej, was more categoric: "Israel, where the real reason for the US campaign against Iraq lies, considers that Iraq's destruction is vital to bring about its total superiority in the region.
"By controlling Iraq, the Israelis hope to settle a large number of Palestinians there and impose normalization on all Arabs," the paper said.
AFP