Iraq drifted further towards military confrontation with the United States yesterday after United Nations mediators left Baghdad with little to show from two days of talks, and a senior Iraqi official threatened to shoot down US spy-planes if they resumed flights over his country.
In signs that both sides are making contingency plans for combat, the American aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, cancelled a scheduled port call and remained on patrol in the Gulf, while Iraqi forces were reported to have been dispersed across the country to avoid bombardment.
Pentagon officials told journalists in Washington that no action would be taken until a three-member UN delegation presents its report early next week on its talks with the Iraqi government.
At a press conference in Baghdad, the UN delegation's Algerian leader, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi, said there was no sign of the Iraqis lifting their ban on US participation in UN weapons-inspection teams - the immediate cause of the current crisis.
Mr Brahimi said the envoys had been given a letter for the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, but did not disclose its contents.
Reconnaissance flights by American U-2 spy-planes - suspended for the duration of the UN envoys' visit to Baghdad - are due to resume early next week. The overflights are meant to provide aerial pictures and data for the UN Special Commission (Unscom) investigations, but Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tariq Aziz, said they would be treated as an enemy incursion.
"When a strange plane enters Iraqi airspace it might be shot by the Iraqi anti-aircraft facilities," Mr Aziz told a press conference yesterday, holding aloft alleged U2 flight plans.
"I know that the U-2 is entering the Iraqi air space in order to take the photographs to enable the American army to attack the Iraqi targets," he said.
On Thursday, Iraqi officials confirmed they had moved weapons-making equipment away from UN surveillance cameras in anticipation of US air-strikes. The chief UN weapons inspector, Mr Richard Butler, accused Iraq of tampering with the UN cameras. He said some of the missing equipment could be used to cultivate biological weapons.
Mr Aziz said he planned to travel to New York to discuss the situation with Mr Butler. But he stuck to Iraq's ban, in force since October 29th, on US representation in the inspection teams, linking it to Washington's policy on sanctions.
"We have been in a situation since 1991 till now where the adversary is the judge," Mr Aziz said. "The American government says openly, clearly, that its not going to endorse lifting the sanctions on Iraq until the leadership of Iraq is changed."
President Clinton said yesterday he saw no reason to believe that President Saddam was bowing to threats of sanctions or military action in the standoff.
"But we have to be resolute and firm," he said.
Mr Clinton delivered the bleak assessment shortly after Iraq renewed its demand that the UN stop U-2 surveillance flights over its territory and threatened to shoot down the American aircraft.
Asked if he saw any reason to hope that President Saddam would comply with demands that UN weapons inspections resume, Mr Clinton said: "No, I don't. But we have to be resolute and firm."
The President said a decision whether to take military action against Iraq would wait until after a UN diplomatic delegation returns from Baghdad and the United States consults its allies.
"I think it is important to be resolute and I think it would be a mistake to rule in or out any particular course of action at this moment," the President said.
He did not say when the decision would be made, but he expects agreement among US allies. "I have seen no indication that any of our allies are weakening on this," the President said. "Everyone seems to be united in their determination."
Mr Clinton said the international community must focus on resuming weapons inspections. "That is the issue, and whether (Saddam) is firm or weak in the end the international community has to be firm to make sure that his regime does not resume its capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction," he said.