US faces resistance to its new Iraq draft

THE United States faces stiff opposition to its tough new Iraq resolution, and the State Department predicted that negotiations will be "complicated" and "messy".

The US and Britain have been at odds with France, Russia and China over how tough a new resolution should be and Tuesday's reactions to the new US draft showed no sign that the two camps were moving closer.

Washington, backed by London, is pushing a single resolution that it says would allow the use of force if Iraq does not meet its UN disarmament obligations.