The United States Defence Secretary, William Cohen, says American forces could renew attacks on Iraq at any time.

Mr Cohen who was speaking during a visit to the Gulf said that, despite the imminent withdrawal of many US troops and war planes from the area, nearly twenty-thousand would remain.

Meanwhile in Washington, President Clinton's national security advisor, Sandy Berger, has said the US is under an obligation to renew attacks on Iraq if President Saddam Hussein continues making weapons of mass destruction.

He also said more attention would be paid to deepening co-operation with Iraqi opposition groups seeking to overthrow Saddam Hussein -- but warned against expecting quick results.