UN falls into line behind Bush's war ultimatum

Fresh from his mid-term election victory, President George Bush told the American people last night that he expected the UN Security Council to vote as early as today on forcing Iraq to surrender its weapons of mass destruction or face almost certain military punishment.

As the leading powers on the Security Council came together last night to push for one of the most critical votes at the UN in years, Mr Bush said: "I'm optimistic we'll get the resolution voted tomorrow [Friday]." He spoke after phone contacts with the leaders of France and Russia, who were pressing for 11th-hour adjustments of a draft submitted jointly by the United States and Britain on Wednesday.

"It's time for the world to come together on Iraq," a relaxed but forceful Mr Bush declared in the wake of the sweeping Republican mid-term election victory. He insisted that war was not his first choice, "it's my last choice, but it's an option." But "if he's not going to disarm, we will disarm him."

The draft resolution gives Saddam Hussein a stark choice: to comply in full with intrusive and permanent UN disarmament demands, or face a catastrophic war.

In London, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, made that clear for the first time, saying the text would allow Britain and the US to go to war without further approval from other Security Council members.

In an emergency statement to the House of Commons, Mr Straw said that "serious consequences" in the wording meant military action against President Saddam.

Tony Blair held a 20-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin yesterday to persuade the Russian President of the draft's merits. But amid strong criticism from Labour MPs, Mr Straw indicated that the resolution permitted military action once Iraq breached disarmament terms, despite opposition from Russia or France at a reconvened Security Council.

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, indicated last night that some last-minute changes were being made in the text, and UN diplomats were confident that both France and Russia were now ready to vote in favour.

France said last night it hoped the Security Council could pass the resolution today. "We hope a consensus can be reached in the Security Council," a spokeswoman for President Jacques Chirac said.

China indicated it would probably back the resolution. "The Security Council should and must speak with one voice and only in doing [it] this way can we send a clear signal to Iraq," China's deputy ambassador to the UN, Zhang Yishan, told reporters after a meeting of the Council last night. He said positions in the Council were "getting closer and closer".

Syria asked for a delay in attempting a final vote until Monday, raising the possibility – still viewed as slim by most western diplomats – that Damascus could unexpectedly come into line with the US and give its support to the text.

A positive vote by Damascus is the key to achieving unanimity and strengthening the message of determination that Washington wants to send to Iraq. However, much would hang on a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on Sunday, at which Iraq will be present.

Much still hinged on what final demands Moscow and Paris could make to alter the text now on the table.