US agrees to share Iraq intelligence

The US is to increase its forces in the area

The United States says it will share intelligence data about Iraq with United Nations weapons inspectors following a request from chief inspector Hans Blix.

The US had been reluctant to hand over what it sees as sensitive information for fear it could give Iraq information about its intelligence operations, BBC Washington correspondent Justin Webb says.

Blix is due to report by 27 January

The agreement comes while the US is preparing for a rapid increase in its military strength in the Middle East, almost doubling the number of troops near Iraq.

President Bush has meanwhile cancelled a trip to Africa, scheduled for January, fuelling speculation that he is preparing for war on Iraq.

Our correspondent says that the president's advisers clearly expect he will have more pressing matters to deal with early in the New Year.

Bush statement

Mr Bush has given the go-ahead for a near-doubling of US forces in the Gulf region.

Defence officials in Washington say the Pentagon plans to move another 50,000 troops next month to join the 60,000 based in the Gulf and Turkey.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told the country's armed forces on Friday that they, too, must be ready for a possible confrontation with Iraq.

In his first public response to Iraq's weapons declaration, George W Bush told reporters on Friday that it was "not encouraging".

IRAQI MATERIAL UNACCOUNTED FOR

Nearly four tons of VX nerve agents

Growth media for 20,000 litres of biological warfare agents

15,000 shells for use in biological warfare

6,000 chemical warfare bombs

Nuclear information

Click here for full analysis

"We expect Mr Saddam Hussein to disarm," Mr Bush said.

"Yesterday was a disappointing day for those who long for peace," he added.

Baghdad says the initial US response to the declaration was "exaggerated".

"Even before they were able to read and analyse the declaration they said it had many gaps," General Hussam Mohammad Amin, the chief Iraqi officer liaising with the UN weapons inspectors, told the Reuters news agency on Friday.

The United States said on Thursday that Baghdad was in "material breach" of a critical United Nations resolution - which Washington says gives it the authority to attack Iraq.

Other UN Security Council members, including the UK, Washington's closest ally, have not supported that US interpretation of the resolution.

Pressure

The increase in military pressure on Iraq followed the first report by the UN's chief weapons inspector on Iraq's weapons declaration.

Mr Blix asked for more guidance for his inspectors

Mr Blix told the Security Council on Thursday that the document contained little new information.

He said Western governments had intelligence sources not available to the United Nations but he was not receiving as much support as he would like.

Mr Blix told the BBC on Friday that, if US officials knew where they thought Iraq was storing banned materials, he could send his inspection teams to check.

He told the UN Security Council that Iraq's declaration did not contain the necessary evidence that known weapons of mass destruction had been destroyed.

He will make his report on the weapons document on 27 January.

Baghdad produced its document in accordance with a Security Council resolution passed last month which threatens "serious consequences" if Iraq fails to comply with disarmament demands.

The US says there are a number of steps that must now be taken:

• Iraq's declaration should continue to be examined
• Inspectors should interview scientists for first-hand information on weapons programmes outside Iraq, where they may speak freely
• Inspectors should intensify efforts inside, with the support of intelligence from Security Council members
• Consultation should continue on how to compel Iraq to disarm.