The condemnation in the Iraqi parliament of the UN resolution on Iraq has heightened war expectations in Washington, where President George W. Bush vowed yesterday that "the dictator of Iraq will fully disarm, or the United States of America will lead a coalition and fully disarm him."
Oil prices surged after a committee of the Baghdad parliament recommended that the resolution be rejected, leading to speculation that President Saddam Hussein might decide to block the return of weapons inspectors.
The parliament, which is not regarded outside Iraq as a body free or independent of President Saddam and those around him, will vote today.
In London meanwhile, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, warned that the UN resolution passed on Friday had left President Saddam with the choice of disarming voluntarily or being disarmed by force. In a speech to the Lord Mayor of London's Banquet, Mr Blair also warned of the danger of terrorist attack in the UK before Christmas.
Iraq has until Friday to accept Security Council Resolution 1441 which provides for weapons inspectors to return for the first time in four years. The final decision lies with the Revolutionary Command Council, headed by President Saddam.
A rejection would constitute a "material breach" of the resolution and would precipitate an American-led invasion in the coming weeks - possibly by mid-December - after a further emergency meeting of the Security Council.
Mr Bush chose the occasion of a Veterans' Day visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington to depict Iraq as a potential ally of al-Qaeda terrorism. "The dictator in Iraq has a long history of aggression and a deep hatred of America," he said. Iraq had "a uniquely dangerous regime that possesses the weapons of mass murder, has used the weapons of mass murder, and could supply those weapons to terror groups."
Mr Bush vowed to hunt down the terrorists who attacked the US and repeated his warning to the world: "Either you are with the United States or you are with the enemy".
As UN weapons inspectors finish plans for fast-moving inspections to uncover any chemical, biological or nuclear warfare sites after their return on November 18th, the Pentagon has been leaking more war plans to pressurise the Iraqi leadership not to resist.
These envisage a "rolling war" with a force of some 250,000 US and 15,000 British troops seizing south, north and west Iraq for the encirclement of Baghdad. The campaign would begin with an extensive air attack using "smart bombs" 60 per cent of the time, according to the New York Times.