UN inspectors spies: Iraq

‘‘We know they are playing an intelligence role. The way they are conducting their inspections and the sites they are visiting have nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction,’’ he said.

‘‘But we are cooperating with the inspection teams in a positive way in order to expose the lies of those who have bad intentions.’’

Meanwhile, despite allies’ reservations, the US maintained its war footing on Sunday amid indications it considers a January 27 report by UN inspectors the start of the end game in efforts to disarm Iraq.

The Washington Post, quoting a senior US official, reported on Sunday that while the administration believes the January 27 UN report will probably not provide a definitive trigger for war, ‘‘it is a very important day (marking) the beginning of a final phase’’ toward decisive action. President George Bush says he has made no decision on whether to invade Iraq.

The Pentagon also launched an e-mail campaign on Saturday urging key Iraqi civilian and military leaders to turn away from President Saddam Hussein.

In a further effort to try and produce the kind of documentation that would bolster a case for war, US officials say they expect arms inspectors to focus on Iraqi sites that have not been inspected before.

Also, they have pressed the team to insist that Iraq validate claims it made in a report to the UN last month on its weapons capability.

Pentagon officials said on Saturday Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had ordered another 27,000 troops to the Gulf. Defence officials said this means the US could be positioned for an attack by mid-to-late February with a force exceeding 150,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen.

Increasing pressure from allies for Washington to allow UN weapons inspectors to complete their work in Iraq has raised speculation in recent days about whether US war plans might yet be slowed.

Among top officials in Europe who have spoken out against an early war is British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair told his Cabinet last week UN inspectors should be given time to do their job and that January 27 was not a deadline for military action. (Reuters)