British Prime Minister Tony Blair appears to winning the argument with US president George W Bush over the need to have international support for an attack on Iraq.
Mr Blair is on his way home from a key meeting with Mr Bush in which a final strategy for dealing with Iraq was not agreed. While the US president believes a second UN resolution is not required before attacking Iraq the British PM is keen to get the UN are on board.
"I believe that there will be a second resolution," he told reporters on the plane back to London.
Mr Bush is concerned that a new resolution could be used as a delaying tactic, especially as the inspectors say they need much more time to complete their work.
However, the inspectors have indicated that the Iraqis are not fully co-operating with their work, which the US regards as a breach of UN resoplution 1441.
Mr Blair assertion that there is no rift between the pair was backed by Bush aides who said the President privately supports seeking a second UN resolution before attacking. But, they said, Mr Bush did not want to give an impression of weakness to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Mr Blair and Mr Bush today said the Iraq crisis was entering its endgame, with a conclusion coming in weeks rather than months.
"I think it will be very plain to people whether Saddam is co-operating or not in the next few weeks," Mr Blair said. "If he does not comply, we have to act."
He said he and Bush had discussed the possible wording of a second resolution. He said they had also talked about the details of a possible military campaign, but did not elaborate.
"Even now we're not at war with Iraq. Conflict is not inevitable if Saddam complies," Mr Blair insisted.
Diplomats at the United Nations said they expected Washington to push for a new resolution in about two weeks, if it looked as if such a measure might besuccessful.
Mr Blair is expected to lead the diplomatic effort by pressing fellow permanent UN Security Council member France at an Anglo-French summit on Tuesday.
China, France and Russia who all hold a veto say the inspections must continue until conclusive, which may take some time.
Eight other non-permanent members, including Germany, which chairs the council this month, share the position. The United States, Britain, Spain and Bulgaria are the only states in favour of imminent war.
Mr Bush reportedly told Mr Blair that he was only prepared to give the UN inspection process up to six more weeks.
Meanwhile, Iraq has invited chief UN arms inspectors Dr Hans Blix and Dr Mohamed El-Baradei to visit Baghdad before their next report to the Security Council on February 14th.
The inspectors, in a letter to Iraq, have not flatly turned down the invitation, tentatively scheduled for February 7th or 8th. But Dr Blix reiterated that he wanted Iraq first to give way on UN inspectors' demands for unrestricted flights by spy planes over Iraq and for private interviews with Iraqi experts.
Mr Blair said Baghdad's invitation was part of a long-established pattern of playing for time. Mr Bush dismissed it as a "deception" and a "charade".