Opposition 'softening' to Iraq strike, says White House

The White House says international opposition to military action against Iraq - at least as a last resort - is softening.

The comments follow more world leaders saying Saddam Hussein cannot be allowed to snub UN weapons inspectors.

Officials from France, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands denounced Saddam in exceptionally blunt terms on Monday.

Some allies also said military action cannot be ruled out if the US works through the UN to confront Saddam.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said: "It does appear that a movement is budding to put some force to previous UN resolutions.

"It's clear that both the Congress and the UN are returning to an issue that had not gotten sufficient attention in recent years, and now some muscle looks like it's being put at least rhetorically into the deliberations of the world's leaders."

Bush advisers said privately that the president was pleasantly surprised by a proposal from French president Jacques Chirac of a three-week deadline to allow the return of UN weapons inspectors. If refused, a second resolution to use military force would have to be passed.

White House officials also noted remarks by Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, who said Iraq should accept weapons inspectors and military action should be used as a last resort.

And Denmark's prime minister and president of the European Union, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, called Saddam a "mad dictator".

US officials say Mr Rasmussen made it known he might support the concept of "coercive inspections". Under that concept, Iraq would be forced to open suspect sites or face an attack by American or multinational troops deployed in or near Iraq.