US warns it is 'time for action' against Saddam

New UN resolution will say Iraqi dictator is in 'material breach' of disarmament rules

Colin Powell, the American Secretary of State, suggested that a war against Iraq could be launched within three weeks as he insisted yesterday that it was "time to take action" against Saddam Hussein.

With Britain and America due to table a second resolution in the United Nations Security Council today or tomorrow, Downing Street said a vote on the text of the resolution would take place in "early to mid March". Itis expected to say that Iraq is in "material breach" of resolution 1441 and will face "serious consequences" if President Saddam does not comply with the terms of that text, which demanded that he provide immediate and full co-operation to the UN arms inspectors.

Iraq says it is "studying" an order from the inspectors for missiles to be destroyed under UN supervision, starting by Saturday. The al-Samoud-2 missiles exceed the 150km (93-mile) range permitted by the UN. Iraq's response is seen as a crucial test of President Saddam's willingness to co-operate on disarming.

General Powell dropped the clearest hints yet on America's likely timetable in any conflict with Iraq, saying the UN needed to take vital decisions quickly, once the weapons inspectors had reported to the Security Council on 7 March.

Speaking in Beijing, where he is to press Chinese leaders against vetoing a second resolution, General Powell said: "It is time to take action. The evidence is clear. They are guilty ... We are reaching that point where serious consequences must flow."

Earlier, General Powell warned in Tokyo: "It isn't going to be a long period of time from the tabling of the resolution until a judgement is made as to whether the resolution is ready to be voted on or not. Iraq is still not complying and time is drawing to a close when ... the Security Council must show its relevance by insisting that Iraq disarm or that Iraq be disarmed by a coalition of forces that will go in and do it."

The Pentagon has long made clear it would prefer to launch any strike before April, when temperatures in Iraq begin to soar. Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, said last week that the 150,000 US troops in the Gulf region were "ample" for the task.

Whether America and Britain will obtain the resolution is far from clear. The French Foreign Minister reiterated yesterday that France remained opposed to a second resolution. The former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov visited Baghdad yesterday on a mission for President Vladimir Putin. Mr Primakov, a long-time friend of President Saddam, undertook a similar mission before the Gulf War in 1991.

Mr Blair believes the gap between the tabling of the second UN resolution this week and the Security Council vote will be President Saddam's final chance to avoid war. "The Prime Minister believes this is the last push for peace," his official spokesman said.

Yesterday John Major, who led Britain into the 1991 war, warned that a strike on President Saddam could provoke him to unleash "Armageddon".

The Iraqi leader might try to drag the whole Middle East into a conflagration by launching an attack on Israel or Saudi Arabia and setting alight Iraq's oil wells, Mr Major said on the Breakfast with Frost programme on BBC1.

Countdown to war?

Today/tomorrow

Draft UN resolution tabled

Tomorrow

Blair gives emergency statement to Commons

Wednesday

Debates in Parliament

Friday

Blix reports to UN

Saturday

UN deadline for start of destruction of al-Samoud-2 missiles

Friday, 7 March

Blix report to UN

7-14 March

UN vote on resolution?