HIGHLIGHTSMoving Bombers Seen as New Display of Determination on U.S. Part to Act Alone if UN Support Were Not Forthcoming|*|Anglo-American Jets Attack Iraqi Anti-Aircraft Batteries|*|UN Security Council President Says Council Member States Moving Towards 'Something Positive'|*|Powell Thinks Vote Possible Towards End of Next Week|*|UN Inspectors Meet Bush, Cheney & Condoleezza Rice|*|
__________
STORY: The United States reported progress in UN Security Council talks on a new tough weapons control regime for Iraq, as the Pentagon said it was moving its stealth bombers closer to the Gulf region.

The draft, introduced by the United States, sets new tougher conditions for weapons inspections designed to ensure Iraq is free from weapons of mass destruction and means of their delivery.

But as diplomats from the United States, France, Russia and other countries haggled over the proposal, Washington stepped up its military preparation in the region in a new display of determination to act alone, if security council support were not forthcoming.

Washington will deploy B-2 Stealth bombers closer to the Gulf region to increase the US firepower there amid mounting pressure on Iraq, a US Air Force commander said.

The Air Force B2 Bomber Wing, began practicing Tuesday for the deployment to the British Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and an air base at Fairford in England, said Colonel Doug Raaberg, commander of the 509 Bomb Wing.

Putting just two B-2s closer to the Gulf will enable US forces to fly 12 stealth bomber missions for every one that could be flown from Whiteman Air Force Base in the US mid-west, the military said.

Keeping up pressure on Baghdad, warplanes from the US-British coalition attacked Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries Wednesday, after coming under fire in northern Iraq, defense officials said.

The United States European Command said in a statement the aircraft dropped precision guided munitions on elements of the Iraqi integrated air defense system in northern Iraq and safely returned to their bases.

But as the Pentagon flexed its muscles, Secretary of State Colin Powell said members of the Security Council were "narrowing the differences and I think we are getting much closer" to a compromise.

Council president Martin Belinga Eboutou of Cameroon told reporters after almost three hours of consultations that "we are moving towards something extremely positive."

But U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told National Public Radio in Washington that "this would break in one way or another," and said it was possible that the negotiations would end with the two sides asking for a vote on rival texts.

"I think this is all going to happen certainly towards the end of next week," he said.

Powell had telephone talks on Wednesday with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, the State Department said.

In Washington, President George W. Bush briefly met with chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix and International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohammed El-Baradei, who also held talk with Vice President Richard Cheney and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

"The message is that it is important for the inspectors to be effective. It is important for the inspectors to carry out the will of the world community as expressed by the Security Council to inspect for the purpose of disarmament," commented White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Fleischer said the meeting with Blix and El-Baradei was no different from discussions the UN officials have had with other permanent members of the security council.

The previous arms inspectorate was withdrawn from Iraq in December 1998 on the eve of a US-British bombing campaign. The Iraqis had accused it of spying for the United States.

PHOTO CAPTION

The B-2 Stealth Bomber, made by the Northrop Grumman Corp., is shown landing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., in this undated handout photo. Northrop Grumman, best known for being the prime contractor on the B-2 Stealth bomber, has started an advertising campaign to show how it is also a leading player in computer warfare, unmanned surveillance vehicles, such as the Global Hawk, and advanced electronic targeting systems for fighter planes. The campaign includes radio, television and print ads, in an effort to update the company's image among Wall Street financiers and Washington decision makers. (AP Photo/Northrop Grum