President Clinton has delivered a stinging rebuke to Saddam Hussein in his address to Congress, indicating that a new conflict with Iraq could soon erupt.

President Clinton delivers his warning to Saddam Hussein (0'48")

"The UN inspectors have done a remarkable job finding and destroying more of Iraq's arsenal than was destroyed during the entire Gulf War. Now Saddam Hussein wants to stop them," he said.

" I know I speak for everyone in this chamber - Republican and Democrat - when I say to Saddam Hussein: 'You cannot defy the will of the world. You have used weapons of mass destruction before. We are determined to deny you the capacity to use them again.'"

The situation has been tense since Iraq refused to allow United Nations weapons inspectors unrestricted access to sites, and intense diplomatic negotiations are taking place in an attempt to resolve the crisis.

The BBC's Rageh Omar assesses the situation in Baghdad (3'11")

Some members of the UN Security Council do not want to see a military showdown. France, China and Russia have so far remained opposed to the use of force, and a Russian envoy arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday to try to mediate.

Moscow insists that Iraq conform to UN resolutions on weapons inspections and allows the teams to search Saddam's palaces for weapons of mass destruction but has also told the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, that Russia was still committed to a diplomatic solution.

But US words and deeds are looking increasingly bellicose and President Clinton has found support from across the political spectrum in his own country. The Senate Republican leader, Trent Lott, vowed to support US policy.

He said: "Let me make one thing clear to Saddam Hussein - or anyone else who needs to be told - despite any current controversy, this Congress will vigorously support the president in full defence of America's interests throughout the world. "

There has not yet been any direct response from Saddam Hussein but the Iraqi press accuses the US of planning to attack Iraq to divert attention from alleged sex scandals involving the president.

Babil, a daily newspaper owned by Saddam's son Uday, said: "When Congress members encourage Clinton to attack Iraq, they are attempting to escape their troubles by blaming them on others. They are calling on Clinton to make the final step for the end of his collapsing ethical and political life."

US Defence Secretary William Cohen will soon be flying ot the Gulf

The US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, is consulting foreign ministers on how to proceed. And early next month, the US Defence Secretary, William Cohen, plans to visit the Gulf and check with allies on possible military action.

The Americans already have support from the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who has also taken a tough line with the Iraqi leader and sent the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible to the Gulf.

Madeleine Albright will be discussing the crisis with European politicians

On Tuesday, he told the Arabic language Al-Hayat newspaper: "We do not rule out the use of force if Saddam refuses to change his stance."

The head of the UN inspection team, Richard Butler, has angered the Iraqis by saying that they had enough biological weapons to wipe out Tel Aviv in Israel.

But so far the UN is still maintaining a conciliatory tone.

UN spokesman Hiro Yuwaki explains the UN position (0'32")

UN spokesman Hiro Yuwaki said: "The bottom line is Iraq must comply with security council resolutions, particularly the question of access to the UN special commission, UNSCOM, so that UNSCOM can verify all the data - information that is necessary for them to eventually reveal all the weapons of mass destruction.

"Ambassador Butler as well as the security council members all want a diplomatic solution to the current standoff."

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