A debate raged at home and abroad on the US initiative against Iraq, as extra support emerged for a stronger UN resolution on weapons inspections and opposition US lawmakers slammed President George W. Bush for politicizing the issue.
Backing for moves to tighten international controls on Iraq came from EU foreign policy representative Javier Solana, who said in Vienna he was convinced Iraq did indeed have weapons of mass destruction that must be destroyed, despite Iraq's protests to the contrary.

Solana made it clear he supported US and British efforts for the Security Council to adopt a new, exceptionally tough resolution on arms inspections in Iraq, his support contrasting somewhat to the stance taken so far by major EU players Germany and France.

He said the UN Security Council was "working so hard these days to get, if possible, a resolution that allows the presence of the people of the UN (in Iraq) in order to analyze the situation in detail so that weapons of mass destruction won't exist any longer.

"I expect the Security Council will come to a decision in the coming days."

Solana's comments came after talks with officials from the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"I think the (Security Council) produced a resolution that has been broken by (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein, therefore the (council) really has to come up with a solution," Solana said about past resolutions authorizing arms inspections.

"I hope very much... that there will be some position from the Security Council in the coming days."

Meanwhile Australia's major political parties agreed British Prime Minister Tony Blair's dossier on Iraq strengthens the case for a tough UN resolution demanding unfettered access by weapons inspectors, as New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said it put forward a strong case for disarming Saddam.

But Turkey said US and British suspicions alone did not justify a war against Baghdad, Anatolia news agency reported.
NATO member Turkey fears toppling the Iraqi regime could prompt the Kurds in northern Iraq, outside Baghdad's control since the 1991 Gulf War and under the protection of the northern no-fly zone, to declare independence, which in turn, could incite Turkey's own Kurds.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, meanwhile, met in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, focusing both on the Iraqi crisis and the Israeli siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters.

In talks, the two men examined the "situation in the region and the precipitous events that could have negative results" throughout the Arab world, the state SPA news agency said.

The issue of getting a tougher UN resolution on weapons inspections drew opposition from permanent Security Council member France -- which has veto power. Paris wants two resolutions -- one empowering UN weapons inspectors to do their jobs and, if necessary, a later one to authorize use of force.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is said to support the two-resolution idea, saying Washington would be unlikely to achieve all it needs with just one. But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that proposal could make Washington appear to be using Baghdad-style tactics.

Lack of a clear position on this point is complicating US- and British-led efforts to draft a resolution at the United Nations within the "weeks, not months" timeframe demanded by Bush, officials said.

The long-awaited report released Tuesday by the British government, detailed the threat from Iraq's weapons programs, saying Baghdad may be only a year or two away from possessing a nuclear bomb, and has "military plans" for the use of chemical and biological arms -- an idea slammed by an Iraqi cabinet spokesman Wednesday as worthless.

NATO talks in Warsaw had brought several unsolicited offers of support for Washington's hardline stance, Rumsfeld said.
He declined to say which countries had come forward or what kind of support they had indicated to him they were ready to provide to the United States. "People did come up to me and indicate in a variety of different ways the views of their government," Rumsfeld said.

Washington also was set to expand assistance to foes of Saddam Hussein by providing Iraqi opposition groups with military training as it pursues its policy of regime change in Baghdad, officials said.

About one million dollars has been spent on training for Iraqi opposition members for bodyguard and security operations, the officials said. The White House is expected to shortly ask Congress for approval to broaden that assistance.

PHOTO CAPTION

(Top R) Iraqi President Saddam Hussein addresses members of his Revolutionary Command Council in Baghdad September 25, 2002. - Sep 25 7:41 PM ET

(Top L) A journalist holds a copy of a dossier setting out British Prime Minister Tony Blair's case for military action against Iraq outside number 10 Downing Street in London on September 24. REUTERS/Dan Chung
- Sep 25 7:31 PM ET

(Bottom L) Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov speaks during his meeting with young diplomats in Moscow, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2002. (AP Photo/Maxim Marmur)
- Sep 25 4:42 PM ET

(Bottom R) Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy , casts his vote on the Emergency Motion on Iraq at the Lib-Dem Party Conference in Brighton, England, Wednesday , Sept. 25, 2002. (AP Photo / PA, Michael Stephens)
- Sep 25 6:26 PM ET