The United Nations Security Council today begins debating Iraq's compliance with weapons inspections, after the report of Dr Hans Blix was presented to the Council on Monday.
Dr Blix's report appeared bolstered the US case for military action by saying Baghdad had not come to a "genuine acceptance" of its disarmament obligations.
He told the Security Council that Iraq had failed to answer crucial questions on its long-range missiles and chemical and biological arms programs. But he also said inspectors have yet to find any major proof of the weapons of mass destruction Iraq denies having or trying to obtain.
Furthermore, IAEA chief Dr Mohammed ElBaradei told the Security Council there was no evidence Iraq had re-started its nuclear weapons programme. He called for more time to be given to inspectors.
Security Council members Russia, France, Syria, Germany and China, as well as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also said the inspections were working and should be given more time.
To try to convince skeptical allies, Mr Bush last night called on the Security Council to convene on February 5th "to consider the facts of Iraq's ongoing defiance of the world."
"Secretary of State (Colin) Powell will present information and intelligence about Iraq's illegal weapons programs, its attempts to hide those weapons from inspectors and its links to terrorist groups," Mr Bush said in his State of the Union address.
On the home front in the US Democrats have demanded that the White House back up its allegations with more evidence. Mr Bush and his top aides have tried to establish a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda, to date unsuccessfully.
Agencies