HIGHLIGHTSWashington to Seek Supporters in Europe other than France & Germany|| France & Germany Reject Washington's Charges of Being Isolated in Europe|| Russia, China & Canada Join France & Germany-Washington now is in the Minority in the Security Council|| The Prospect of War Overshadows Prestigious Economic Gathering in Davos, Switzerland|| Inspectors Report to UN Security Council This Monday as UN Experts Continue the Hunt for WMD in Iraq|| Iraq Expects Monday's Report to be 'Grey|| STORYWashington shrugged off growing vocal opposition to a possible war on Iraq on Thursday as China and Russia joined key U.S. allies France, Germany and Canada in opposing any rush to war.

They urged the United States to allow U.N. inspectors more time, while France said there was "a real chance" that Iraq could be disarmed by peaceful means.


Washington To Seek Supporters Other Than France & Germany

Washington dismissed the objections of its allies, with Secretary of State Colin Powell saying Washington would find other supporters if it decided to go to war.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about going it alone," Powell said in Washington on Thursday after talks with Britain's supportive Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

He also said it was an "open question" whether Washington would seek a further U.N. resolution to authorize the use of force to disarm Baghdad.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer dismissed France and Germany's opposition saying it was "their prerogative ... to be on the sideline" if they so chose.

Fleischer said other countries that might support a U.S.-led strike on Iraq included Britain, Italy, Spain, eastern European nations and Australia, which dispatched a troop ship toward the Gulf Thursday in case they are needed.

Other U.S. officials make clear they see no need for the declaration-- and given the French, Russian and Chinese veto powers on the Security Council, they are unlikely to get one. The other two veto-wielding members, the United States and its strongest ally Britain, are now a minority on the Council.

France & Germany Reject Washington's Charges of Being Isolated in Europe

Amid talk of a rift in the transatlantic alliance, Germany and France angrily rejected U.S. criticism that they are isolated in Europe in their effort to avoid the use of force against Baghdad.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer bluntly told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to "cool down" his rhetoric and took umbrage at Rumsfeld's dismissal of France and Germany's views as that of "old Europe."

In Berlin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder vowed he and French President Jacques Chirac would do all they could to avert war. "War may never be considered unavoidable," he said.

China said its position was "extremely close" to France's.

Putin Phones White House

Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Bush in a telephone call the key to future action on Iraq would be found in next Monday's report by U.N. arms inspectors. The White House confirmed the conversation took place but gave no details.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Thursday there were no grounds at the moment to use force against Iraq.

"Russia believes that there are no grounds at the moment to use military force against Iraq," Ivanov told reporters in the Greek capital.

"There is still political and diplomatic leeway to resolve the Iraq issue."

Ivanov was attending a meeting with European Union ministers in Athens.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, on a trip to Russia, said Washington did not believe it needed a second Security Council resolution before taking military action.

"We believe there is sufficient authority to move now without a second resolution," he told Ekho Moskvy radio. But he added: "It is appropriate for me to say that President Bush has made no decision about the use of military force."

The Prospect of War Overshadows Prestigious Davos Economic Gathering

And, the prospect of war overshadowed discussion of economics at the prestigious Davos, Switzerland gathering of the global economic and political elite. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad jolted the opening session, telling the United States that "out terrorizing the terrorists will not work."

Swiss President Pascal Couchepin spelled out what he said was the majority view in Western Europe that war should be a "last resort" and would have long-term destabilizing effects on the Middle East.

Inspectors Report to UN Security Council Monday as Experts on The Ground Continue The Hunt for WMD in Iraq

The weapons experts have spent two months searching for evidence of nuclear, chemical and biological arms that Iraq denies having. They are due to present their findings to the Security Council Monday but have already said they need more time to finish their work.

In Iraq, U.N. experts continued their hunt for banned weapons as a local newspaper warned that U.S. troops faced a fate worse than the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States if they attacked.

"The events of September 11 will be a picnic compared with what would happen to America if it commits aggression against Iraq," the Babel paper of Saddam's son Uday said.

The U.N. inspectors flew by helicopter to a research facility in northern Iraq for one of nine inspections Thursday, including visits to food stores, a fiberglass plant, a missile complex and a university. A row continued over a visit by inspectors to a mosque Monday, with a senior Iraqi official dismissing a U.N. explanation that they had gone there merely as tourists.

Iraq Expects Monday's Report To Be 'Grey'

Iraq said on Thursday that it expected next week's crucial U.N. report on its disarmament to be neither positive nor negative
"I expect the (chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans) Blix's report to be grey, not white not black," General Hussam Mohammed Amin, head of the Iraqi Monitoring Directorate, told reporters

"I expect Blix and ElBaradei to be objective and professional and concentrate on important issues because the issues we differ on are not that important to the (inspectors') work," Amin told a news conference.

Amin denied remarks from Blix on Monday that Baghdad was putting conditions on flying U2 spy planes over the country to aid inspectors and urged him not to include that issue in the report. "I hope that he will not put a magnifying lens on disagreement points -- mainly related to the U2."

A U.N spokesman in Baghdad said on Thursday the arms experts had already begun drafting the document.

The report could be key to any decision on a U.S. invasion of the oil-rich country if Baghdad is found to be in "material breach" of a November U.N. Security Council resolution.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi children make victory signs during a protest in Baghdad January 23, 2003. Iraq urged Turkey to reject U.S. requests for military support in any attack on Baghdad as six Middle Eastern states met in Istanbul to discuss ways of avoiding a potentially destabilizing war. (Faleh Kheibe