Bush gives Saddam and his sons 48 hours to flee Iraq

US President George W Bush today gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq with his sons or face the "full force and might" of Allied military force.

Starting the countdown to probable airstrikes early on Thursday or Friday, a steely-faced Mr Bush used a 15-minute TV address from the Oval Office in the White House to tell Saddam that unless he complied, the US would launch war "at a time of our choosing".