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Saddam Hussein has been rallying support at home
Iraqi documents obtained by the BBC indicate that Baghdad is equipping key units with protection against chemical weapons.
The handwritten papers smuggled out by the Iraqi opposition refer to new chemical warfare suits to protect soldiers and distribution of the drug atropine to counter the effects of nerve gas.
The notes, passed on by the opposition Iraqi National Coalition (INC), also included details for attacking ships in the Gulf.
The INC says the notes came from members of Baghdad's military.
Iraq's Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are among the recipients of special suits and atropine, the BBC's Gordon Corera reports.
US claims support
The disclosure comes as the United States says it is confident of international support in the event of military action against Iraq, despite misgivings by other leading world powers.
Friday, 24 January, 2003, 08:28 GMT
Iraq 'preparing for chemical war'
Pro-Saddam demonstration in Baghdad
Saddam Hussein has been rallying support at home
Iraqi documents obtained by the BBC indicate that Baghdad is equipping key units with protection against chemical weapons.
We know from multiple sources that Saddam has ordered any scientist who cooperates during interviews will be killed
Paul Wolfowitz
US Deputy Defence Secretary
Click for more on Iraq's arsenal
The handwritten papers smuggled out by the Iraqi opposition refer to new chemical warfare suits to protect soldiers and distribution of the drug atropine to counter the effects of nerve gas.
The notes, passed on by the opposition Iraqi National Coalition (INC), also included details for attacking ships in the Gulf.
The INC says the notes came from members of Baghdad's military.
Iraq's Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are among the recipients of special suits and atropine, the BBC's Gordon Corera reports.
US claims support
The disclosure comes as the United States says it is confident of international support in the event of military action against Iraq, despite misgivings by other leading world powers.
Open in new window : Who backs war?
Where key nations stand on Iraq
"I don't think we will have to worry about going it alone", American Secretary of State Colin Powell said, expressing the hope that differences could be overcome.
The latest report of Iraqi war preparations is bound to intrigue UN weapons inspectors, the BBC's Rageh Omaar reports from Baghdad.According to a UK Government report last year and UN inspectors' findings, Iraq has undeclared stocks of VX and Sarin nerve agent. It is thought Iraq could deploy such chemicals quickly.
Meanwhile, the US Government has been stepping up its case for tougher action against Saddam.
In a key speech in New York, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz recited a long list of instances in which, he said, Iraq was still lying about and concealing its weapons programmes.
"Today we know from multiple sources that Saddam has ordered any scientist who cooperates during interviews will be killed, as well as their families," Mr Wolfowitz said.
Earlier in Baghdad, Iraqi officials had said they were encouraging scientists to speak to the UN, but six had so far resisted efforts to question them alone.
"We did our best to push the scientists but they refused such interviews without the presence of representatives of Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate," Iraq's chief liaison officer Hossam Mohammed Amin told a news conference.
Concerns
France and Germany have expressed strong resistance to military action, and China and Russia on Thursday both voiced deep reservations about military action.Beijing was "worried and uneasy" about the large-scale military build-up in the Gulf, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
Russia - which like France and China has power of veto as a permanent member of the Security Council - has also challenged the US position, saying there is no evidence that would justify a war in Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Bush in a telephone conversation that "the main criterion" in assessing the situation in Iraq should be the weapons inspectors' findings.
The weapons inspectors are due to present their crucial report to the Security Council on 27 January.
Rift
The growing differences between the US and some of its allies could hinder efforts to reach a consensus on the next course of action over Iraq.
Mr Powell said the US Government would listen carefully to the report and consult with friends and allies, but he again indicated the United States might not wait for Security Council approval to attack Iraq.
"If it can't be solved peacefully and if the UN should fail to act, and I hope that is not the case, then the United States reserves the right to do what it thinks is appropriate to defend its interests," Mr Powell said.
"I'm quite confident, if it comes to that, we will be joined by many nations," he said at a joint news conference with UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
In a sign of regional concern over the Iraqi crisis, Iraq's neighbours met on Thursday to consider ways of averting a showdown.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2690163.stm
Iraqi documents obtained by the BBC indicate that Baghdad is equipping key units with protection against chemical weapons.
The handwritten papers smuggled out by the Iraqi opposition refer to new chemical warfare suits to protect soldiers and distribution of the drug atropine to counter the effects of nerve gas.
The notes, passed on by the opposition Iraqi National Coalition (INC), also included details for attacking ships in the Gulf.
The INC says the notes came from members of Baghdad's military.
Iraq's Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are among the recipients of special suits and atropine, the BBC's Gordon Corera reports.
US claims support
The disclosure comes as the United States says it is confident of international support in the event of military action against Iraq, despite misgivings by other leading world powers.
Friday, 24 January, 2003, 08:28 GMT
Iraq 'preparing for chemical war'
Pro-Saddam demonstration in Baghdad
Saddam Hussein has been rallying support at home
Iraqi documents obtained by the BBC indicate that Baghdad is equipping key units with protection against chemical weapons.
We know from multiple sources that Saddam has ordered any scientist who cooperates during interviews will be killed
Paul Wolfowitz
US Deputy Defence Secretary
Click for more on Iraq's arsenal
The handwritten papers smuggled out by the Iraqi opposition refer to new chemical warfare suits to protect soldiers and distribution of the drug atropine to counter the effects of nerve gas.
The notes, passed on by the opposition Iraqi National Coalition (INC), also included details for attacking ships in the Gulf.
The INC says the notes came from members of Baghdad's military.
Iraq's Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are among the recipients of special suits and atropine, the BBC's Gordon Corera reports.
US claims support
The disclosure comes as the United States says it is confident of international support in the event of military action against Iraq, despite misgivings by other leading world powers.
Open in new window : Who backs war?
Where key nations stand on Iraq
"I don't think we will have to worry about going it alone", American Secretary of State Colin Powell said, expressing the hope that differences could be overcome.
The latest report of Iraqi war preparations is bound to intrigue UN weapons inspectors, the BBC's Rageh Omaar reports from Baghdad.According to a UK Government report last year and UN inspectors' findings, Iraq has undeclared stocks of VX and Sarin nerve agent. It is thought Iraq could deploy such chemicals quickly.
Meanwhile, the US Government has been stepping up its case for tougher action against Saddam.
In a key speech in New York, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz recited a long list of instances in which, he said, Iraq was still lying about and concealing its weapons programmes.
"Today we know from multiple sources that Saddam has ordered any scientist who cooperates during interviews will be killed, as well as their families," Mr Wolfowitz said.
Earlier in Baghdad, Iraqi officials had said they were encouraging scientists to speak to the UN, but six had so far resisted efforts to question them alone.
"We did our best to push the scientists but they refused such interviews without the presence of representatives of Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate," Iraq's chief liaison officer Hossam Mohammed Amin told a news conference.
Concerns
France and Germany have expressed strong resistance to military action, and China and Russia on Thursday both voiced deep reservations about military action.Beijing was "worried and uneasy" about the large-scale military build-up in the Gulf, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
Russia - which like France and China has power of veto as a permanent member of the Security Council - has also challenged the US position, saying there is no evidence that would justify a war in Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Bush in a telephone conversation that "the main criterion" in assessing the situation in Iraq should be the weapons inspectors' findings.
The weapons inspectors are due to present their crucial report to the Security Council on 27 January.
Rift
The growing differences between the US and some of its allies could hinder efforts to reach a consensus on the next course of action over Iraq.
Mr Powell said the US Government would listen carefully to the report and consult with friends and allies, but he again indicated the United States might not wait for Security Council approval to attack Iraq.
"If it can't be solved peacefully and if the UN should fail to act, and I hope that is not the case, then the United States reserves the right to do what it thinks is appropriate to defend its interests," Mr Powell said.
"I'm quite confident, if it comes to that, we will be joined by many nations," he said at a joint news conference with UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
In a sign of regional concern over the Iraqi crisis, Iraq's neighbours met on Thursday to consider ways of averting a showdown.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2690163.stm
