"It serves no U.S. or U.N. purpose to give Saddam Hussein excuses for further delay," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld asserted.

Iraq's announcement that it would accept the return of international weapons inspectors nearly four years after they left divided the Security Council. The United States and Britain pursued a resolution to force Iraq to disarm. But Russia and France were opposed, as were Arab nations.

Rumsfeld, in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, and President Bush, in a White House meeting with top congressional leaders, dismissed the Iraqi leader's 11th-hour overture as a stalling tactic.

"He's not going to fool anybody," Bush said.

Rumsfeld suggested that Iraq had concealed evidence of its weapons programs in a labyrinth of tunnels and other elaborate hiding places, certain to complicate and prolong any new inspection effort.

While United Nations officials in New York prepared for the inspectors return, the United States and Britain began working on a new resolution aimed at authorizing use of force should Baghdad fail to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Western diplomats said the U.S.-British draft would likely include new instructions for weapons inspectors and a timetable for disarmament that would be tighter than one laid out in an existing resolution passed in December 1999.

U.S. officials said they did not intend to let Iraq's maneuver blunt their efforts for such a resolution. "I see nothing to suggest that the timing has changed for what the United Nations Security Council is considering," said Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Still, Iraq's invitation to give international inspectors unfettered access to suspected weapons sites after a four-year absence divided the Security Council and prompted the White House to step up its pressure on both allies and Congress.

"Only certainty of U.S. and U.N. purposefulness can have even the prospect of affecting the Iraqi regime," Rumsfeld said. "It is important that Congress send that message as soon as possible - before the U.N. Security Council votes."

Rumsfeld testified as the White House put the finishing touches on its proposed congressional resolution, which the administration plans to give to lawmakers on Thursday.

According to three senior White House officials familiar with the draft, it would give Bush maximum flexibility to confront the threat posed by Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, including an explicit authorization of military force. One of the officials said the resolution also would use much of the same language found in the 1998 law calling for a regime change in Iraq.

The legislation is expected to win overwhelming bipartisan approval in the House and Senate, possibly within two weeks. Both Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt have expressed support for steps to oust Saddam.

Several liberal Democrats raised objections to the administration's plans during the day, speaking out at a closed-door meeting of the Democratic rank-and-file, officials said.

Outlining the administration's case, Rumsfeld told the House panel: "No terrorist state poses a greater and more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq."

But some members voiced skepticism about moving so quickly. "We must think carefully before we authorize the use of military force," said Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, the senior Democrat.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., asked what was wrong with agreeing to another round of inspections before waging war, so long as they were "robust and unfettered."

"The goal is not inspections, the goal is disarmament," Rumsfeld said. At another point, Rumsfeld asked tersely: "How many years does one want to pass?"

Earlier, Bush thanked leaders of both parties for agreeing to press for Iraq votes before the Nov. 5 elections.

He also urged allies - particularly fellow Security Council members France and Russia - not to be misled by Saddam's promise of inspections. He said he believed the U.S. position would prevail.

"Reasonable people understand this man is unreasonable," Bush said.

It was the second straight day Bush has prodded the U.N. to move against Saddam, reflecting concerns by senior advisers that Iraq has gained the upper hand in the public relations battle.

Democratic leaders sounded a note of bipartisanship after meeting with the president. "I think this is an important moment for our country and for the international community to work together," said Daschle, D-S.D.

At the United Nations, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said there might be several resolutions on Iraqi compliance - but that all should specify consequences if ignored. "It's not up to Iraq to pick and choose," he said.

Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Foreign Ministers Igor Ivanov of Russia, Jack Straw of Britain and Dominique de Villepin of France, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Despite a U.S. request for delay, a majority of the 15-member Security Council decided to schedule a meeting with chief weapons inspector Hans Blix for Thursday to discuss renewed inspections.

Rumsfeld said the Pentagon would have to call up more National Guard and Reserve forces if Bush decides to invade Iraq. More than 70,000 reservists have been called to active duty so far in the war on terrorism, and more than 20,000 soldiers in key specialties have been blocked from leaving active duty.

But there's "not a chance" that a draft would be needed to augment U.S. military forces, Rumsfeld told the House panel.

Some lawmakers also got a closed-door intelligence briefing earlier in the day.

Information presented at that briefing indicated Iraq could have a nuclear weapon "in the very near future," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a senior Armed Services Committee member.

Rumsfeld conceded some U.S. allies in the region - including Israel - would be vulnerable to Iraqi counterattack in the event of strikes against Baghdad. He said such a period of vulnerability would likely be short, and said he hoped Israel could exercise the restraint it did during the Gulf War.

(China Daily September 19, 2002)