US doubles war stocks in Kuwait

The US Army recently doubled the size of its war stocks in Kuwait to accommodate a little-noticed expansion of armoured forces at a base near the Iraqi border, officials said.

US Army Secretary Thomas White said the army is ready for whatever action President George W Bush chooses as he considers how to fulfil his administration’s stated goal of removing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power.

Mr White said the Army has not been given orders to begin preparing for an invasion.

"We have done a lot with prepositioned stocks in the Gulf, making sure they’re accessible and that they’re in the right spot to support whatever the President wants to do," Mr White said.

"But we’ve done nothing specifically against any particular scenario for war."

Mr Bush, who has said he will outline his case against Saddam in a September 12 speech in New York, said yesterday that he would discuss Iraq today in calls to the presidents of France, Russia and China.

"I will remind them that history has called us into action, that we love freedom, that we’ll be deliberate, patient, strong in the values we adhere to," he said.

The administration is likely to ask the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution setting a deadline for Iraq to admit weapons inspectors or to risk punitive action.

By not specifying there would be an attack on Baghdad the administration hopes to avert a Chinese, or more likely, Russian veto, an administration official said.

France, China and Russia all have been critical of attacking Iraq and all have veto power in the council, so Mr Bush is expected to exchange views with the other presidents on that approach.

Speaking in Kentucky, Bush emphasised how much he will consult - with Congress, the public and US allies.

"But one thing is for certain," he said. "I’m not going to change my view and it’s this: my view is we cannot let the world’s worst leaders blackmail America, threaten America or hurt America with the world’s worst weapons."

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said there was no doubt that Mr Bush will take action against Saddam. But he said the President had not yet decided what he will do or when to do it.

Addressing the issue of Arab opposition to a US attack, Mr Armitage said "There is no one in the Arab world who has any affection for the Iraqi leader and that Mr Bush will try to enlist like-minded folks in the Arab world."

Speaking at a conference held by the US Institute on Peace, Mr Armitage said "there is going to be a lot of cleanup after the US moves against Saddam." He did not provide any details.

Iraq was also discussed in a meeting at the Pentagon yesterday between senior administration officials and two dozen senators.

Vice President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and CIA Director George Tenet met at the Pentagon with the bipartisan group of senators, many of whom are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Later, Mr Cheney and Mr Tenet met with congressional leadership on Capitol Hill.