Opposition Grows to War Resolution

President Bush's gamble that he could convince the U.N. Security Council that Saddam Hussein poses an immediate danger is in serious trouble, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Plante.

China on Thursday joined France and Russia in opposing the U.S.-British-Spanish resolution that would open the way for military action. Most members of the council now seem inclined to give the arms inspections more time.

With British public opinion solidly against a war, even Mr. Bush's close ally, Tony Blair, is looking for cover. Britain pulled back slightly from the U.S. hard line Thursday and offered to negotiate terms of the resolution. One possibility: an extension of time coupled with an ultimatum for Iraq to disarm.

"We are ready to discuss the wording of that resolution and take on board any constructive suggestions of how the process on that draft resolution can be improved," British Foreign Minister Jack Straw told a news conference. "There is certainly the possibility of an amendment, and that's what we're looking at."

That's not what the U.S. wants, but it may have no choice. Despite weeks of intense lobbying, Washington does not appear to have the nine votes needed to pass the resolution, and may face a French-Russian veto.

In a further blow to the administration, Chinese President Jiang Zemin told French President Jacques Chirac in a phone call Thursday that a new U.N. resolution was not necessary and that he supports using "political means" to solve the crisis. "The door of peace should not be closed," the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Jiang as saying.

The split has set the stage for a confrontation Friday at the U.N. Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, who will report to the Security Council, said Wednesday that Iraq is now providing "a great deal more" cooperation and painted a more positive picture of Iraq's disarmament efforts than he did a week ago. He said he would welcome the continuation of U.N. inspections for several more months and mapped out plans well into the summer.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who's already meeting with council members, will make what may be his final argument that there's no point in waiting any longer. Powell will remind the council it has already agreed, in last fall's resolution, on "serious consequences" if Saddam failed to disarm.

"Everybody who voted for that knew what that meant. That meant if he didn't comply, there would be a war," Powell said Thursday.

Testifying before a Senate subcommittee before traveling to New York, Powell said, "The moment we find ourselves in is a critical moment. We are being tested, the Security Council of the United Nations and the international community are being tested."

The administration is having almost as much trouble with public opinion at home, according to the latest CBS News poll. The nation remains almost equally divided on whether the administration has made the case for war, and is also split on whether Iraq poses an immediate threat or can be contained.

A solid majority of Americans in our latest survey still thinks the president should get United Nations approval before taking military action. But with 250,000 troops already surrounding Iraq and stepped up U.S. air action in the no-fly zones, the pressure on the president is intense.

In a Thursday night press conference, Mr. Bush restated his case for a hardline against Iraq. He said he will push for a vote on a war resolution against Iraq -- even if the votes are against the U.S.

"It's time for people to show their cards and let people know where they stand in relation to Saddam," he said.

Bush said he had not decided whether to invade Iraq but that it was only a matter of days before a U.N. Security Council vote on a U.S.-backed resolution authorizing force.

"Our mission is clear in Iraq," the president said. "Should we have to go in, our mission is very clear: disarmament. It will mean a regime change. No doubt there's risks in any military operation. I know that."

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said Thursday that the Bush administration had brought on an "extraordinary disintegration" of support from other nations by rushing toward war. He said the administration should continue reaching out to other countries.

"There is still a chance that a worldwide international coalition effort can be achieved," Daschle said.

Iraqi bulldozers flattened six more Al Samoud 2 missiles Thursday, meaning the country has now destroyed a third of its known stock of the banned rockets.

Iraq said three civilians were killed in a strike by U.S.-British coalition air patrols west of the capital, as the country built fighting positions and deployed policemen with assault rifles on Baghdad's streets in preparation for war.

In more intensified activity against Iraq, the United States ordered two U.N.-based Iraqi diplomats to leave the country and asked 60 countries to expel alleged Iraqi agents who could attack American interests overseas.

The government has identified 300 Iraqis in the 60 countries, said the U.S. officials, asking not to be identified. Some are operating as diplomats out of Iraqi embassies, and foreign governments are expected to comply with the U.S. request, the officials said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the top Democrat on Senate Armed Services Committee, said that U.S. intelligence agencies have shared only a small fraction of the sites Iraq identified as highly suspicious for weapons of mass destruction. That information contradicts public statements by CIA Director George Tenet that all such information has been shared with U.N. inspectors, he said.

"If we have not shared the suspect sites, we undermine our own case at the Security Council," Levin said. He said it would be a "nightmare scenario" if Iraq were to use biological or chemical weapons hidden at one of the sites that had not been shared.