Kuwait rehearses for Iraqi onslaught

Hundreds of Kuwaitis evacuated their offices to the accompaniment of fiery explosions today as the Gulf emirate staged a mock Iraqi attack to prepare for any lashing out from its unpredictable neighbour.

Such drills are becoming increasingly realistic and coincide with the planned deployment of thousands more US troops to the region, giving President George Bush flexibility in invading Iraq if he decides to use force to ensure Saddam Hussein complies with UN disarmament resolutions.