A UN mission monitoring the 12-year-old demilitarised border reported yesterday that seven holes wide enough to let a tank through had been created in the 240km long fence that divides Iraq from Kuwait in preparation for a land invasion.
The fence, along with a series of earthen ramparts and anti-tank ditches, was originally built to protect Kuwait from Iraqi aggression after the first Gulf War, but now stands in the way of the 150,000 US troops stationed in the Kuwait desert.
"We have noticed that unidentified workmen are also building gates," said Mr Daljeet Bagga, spokesman for the 700-strong mission, made-up of Bangladeshi soldiers, whose job it is to report violations of the border zone.
"There have been an increasing number of people sighted on the border, some of whom were armed and identified themselves as US marines," said Mr Bagga.
The UN mission has been asked by American military officials to leave should a military invasion of Iraq begin.
A US military official said: "We have a military operation to carry out which involves getting into Iraq as quickly as possible. We have taken appropriate measures to bring that about."