Britain's Daily Express newspaper said on Thursday British troops based in the Gulf had been told to prepare for an invasion of Iraq on March 17.
The newspaper, quoting unnamed governmental sources, said British officers based in Kuwait had been told to expect an invasion on that date, preceded by a massive "short and sharp" air blitz on Iraq from March 13.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said she had no comment on the story.
British newspapers also reported that Britain and the US were considering an amended new United Nations resolution giving Iraq a short time to disarm or face imminent military action.
The Times said that London and Washington were to force a vote on a new resolution early next week, but were studying ways of luring wavering Security Council members into their camp.
One possible solution would be to introduce an ultimatum into the resolution, or a protocol alongside it. The intention would be to give Iraq a few more days to produce chemical and biological weapons, or furnish evidence of their destruction. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
