Whether that can really make the difference in disarming Iraq is something he would evidently prefer council members to decide for themselves.

ECONOMIST: Dealing with Iraq

In the parliamentary debate, British government spokesmen insisted on the importance of a UN mandate for military action, and on the narrow goal of disarming Iraq.

ECONOMIST: Getting tough | The

In an address yesterday to the National Press Club in Canberra, Australian Prime Minister John Howard laid out the case for disarming Iraq despite opposition from some Western nations.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: johnhoward314

"Both of them believe that their position is highly reasonable and promising and that a peaceful solution is possible by reinforcing the work of the inspectors in disarming Iraq, " said German Government spokesman Thomas Steg.

BBC: Europe's Iraq splits laid bare

That would make the peaceable disarming of Iraq an even more remote possibility than it now appears.

ECONOMIST: Time for Iraq to disarm peacefully is fast running out

And he argued that Iraq had failed to demonstrate to the weapons inspectors and to other countries that it had any intention of disarming.

ECONOMIST: Working on the sceptics | The