Iraq said on Friday it would obey U.N. orders to destroy its ballistic missiles and could start doing so on Saturday, but the United States and allies accused Baghdad of playing games over disarmament. The United States intensified its military build-up in the Gulf region, and President Bush said Iraq would never give up its weapons voluntarily and would have to be disarmed by force.

In Baghdad, Iraqi sources said the government had told chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix it would obey his order to destroy its al-Samoud 2 ballistic missiles and could start dismantling them on Saturday -- the deadline he had set.

U.N. inspectors in Baghdad said they would hold technical talks with Iraq on Saturday, after which the destruction of the missiles could begin.

The United Nations says the missiles are illegal because their 150 km (93 mile) range exceeds limits set in 1991 U.N. resolutions.

Blix, however, in a crucial report to the U.N. Security Council, criticized Iraq for giving a "very limited" response to its disarmament obligations.

In a leaked draft of his report, Blix said the results of three months of inspections had been problematic. "Iraq could have made greater efforts to find any remaining proscribed items or provide credible evidence showing the absence of such items," he wrote. "The results in terms of disarmament have been very limited so far."

Security Council members argued bitterly on whether to approve a war on Iraq, with veto-wielding permanent members deeply divided and smaller nations -- under mounting pressure from both sides -- urging them to seek unity.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, visiting Beijing, said Moscow would not support any resolution that opened the way for the use of force in Iraq and would use its veto "if necessary, in the interest of international stability."

Egypt, due to host an Arab League summit on Iraq on Saturday, welcomed the Iraqi decision to destroy its missiles but urged Baghdad to do more to avoid a U.S.-led war.

But Bush told the newspaper USA Today: "My attitude about (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein is that, if he had any intention of disarming, he would have disarmed."

"We will disarm him now," he declared.

"STILL A BATTLEFIELD"

"We're still a battlefield," said Bush, speaking of his view that Saddam is a threat to the United States and the world. "Part of that war is dealing with a dictator who can serve as an arsenal and/or training ground for terrorist networks."

U.S. Navy officials said earlier that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz would head for the Gulf region on Monday, joining five other U.S. carriers and their battle groups already in the Gulf and the Mediterranean.

The Pentagon said several long-range, radar-evading B-2 stealth bombers were expected soon to head for the region, where the United States already has hundreds of Air Force and Navy planes and some 200,000 ground troops ready for war.

In Madrid, British Prime Minister Tony Blair dismissed Iraq's pledge to begin dismantling its missiles.

"The moment I heard earlier in the week that Saddam Hussein was saying he would not destroy the missiles was the moment I knew that later in the week he would announce, just before Dr. Blix reported, that he would indeed destroy these missiles," Blair said.

"This is not a time for games. He (Saddam) knows perfectly well what he has to do," Blair told a news conference after talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

FIERCE ARGUMENTS

The United States, Britain and Spain have submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council that would authorize an invasion of Iraq for failing to comply with its obligation to give up alleged weapons of mass destruction.

France and Germany, backed by Russia, are leading opposition to the draft, arguing strongly that the weapons inspectors should be given more time to disarm Iraq peacefully.

The U.S.-British-Spanish resolution is not expected to come to a vote for two weeks, but the Council's first meeting since it was submitted erupted in fierce arguments.

Blair said on Friday he was confident the resolution would win the support of the Council, where its backers need at least nine votes in favor and no veto from the five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

Bush, who has said he will attack Iraq without Security Council backing if necessary, told USA Today that regardless of the result of a vote on the second resolution, "the most important part about whatever happens is that Saddam be disarmed."

But German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, noting Iraq's offer to destroy its missiles, said in Brussels the weapons inspectors "are making progress and we should continue on this path."

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin agreed, telling the Spanish paper El Pais "it would be paradoxical for a resolution to open the door to war at a time when the inspectors are getting results."

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein attends a meeting with officials in Baghdad, February 27, 2003. Iraq said on February 28 it would obey U.N. orders to destroy its ballistic missiles and could start doing so on Saturday, but the U.S. and allies accused Baghdad of playing games over disarmament. (INA/Reuter