The chief U.N. nuclear weapons inspector said on Monday that the United States had advised him to pull his weapons inspectors out of Iraq . With the threat of war growing, Germany closed its embassy in Baghdad, Russia advised its citizens to leave Iraq and the State Department ordered non-essential diplomats out of Kuwait, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Damascus.

"Late last night I was advised by the U.S. government to pull out our inspectors from Baghdad. Similar advice has been given to UNMOVIC," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei told a meeting of the agency's board of governors.

UNMOVIC is a U.N. agency also looking for weapons of mass destruction. U.N. spokesmen in Baghdad and Vienna said U.N. staff had yet to receive an order to quit Baghdad.

"I understand that the (U.N.) Security Council will take up the issue today," ElBaradei said. "Naturally the safety of our staff remains our primary consideration at this difficult time."

About 135 inspectors remain in Iraq at the present time, a U.N. source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

They do not need permission from the Security Council to vacate Iraq.

President Bush said on Sunday, after a summit with U.S. allies, that the United Nations had only one more day to find a diplomatic end to the Iraq crisis before the United States moved to a war footing.

U.N. Security Council consultations were called for 10 a.m. in New York (1500 GMT).

The U.N. nuclear chief said he was not giving up hope for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Iraq.

"I earnestly hope, even at this late hour, that a peaceful resolution of the issue can be achieved and that the world can be spared a war," he said.

REHEARSED EXIT

Sources close to the weapons inspections told Reuters recently that the inspectors had already rehearsed their exit from Iraq and had been told to keep a bag packed with a maximum of 15 kg of items to make traveling easier.

"That's the size of a backpack," the source said.

Some weapons inspectors have been using their holiday leave in Cyprus, which is a forwarding base for UNMOVIC and the IAEA.

"There are some IAEA inspectors in Larnaca who have been advised, rather than to remain here, to go back to Vienna," a U.N. official told Reuters, referring to the IAEA headquarters.

The official added that, at the moment, no flights were scheduled on Monday from Baghdad to Larnaca.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in a statement: "In connection with a worsening in the situation surrounding Iraq, the Russian foreign ministry recommends that Russian citizens leave Iraq, and avoid making trips to the region."

The State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling to Israel, Kuwait and Syria, and it cited the possibility that Iraq or "terrorist organizations" could use chemical or biological weapons should war break out.

"In the event of military action in Iraq, there is a risk that Iraq or terrorist organizations may use chemical and/or biological materials which could affect the region," it said in each of three statements announcing the decisions.

The State Department urged U.S. citizens who remained in the three countries to exercise caution and said there was a possibility of "commercial flight disruptions" in the event of war.

Washington and its allies accuse Iraq of harboring banned weapons, a charge that Baghdad denies.

PHOTO CAPTION

U.N. chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei will consult the Security Council on March 17 about an Iraqi invitation to visit Baghdad to discuss disarmament issues, U.N. officials said March 15, 2003. Blix (R) and ElBaradei arrive at the al-Rashid hotel in Baghdad, February 8. Photo by Faleh Kheiber/Reuters