U.S. Angst Over Allies Grows

In a move that will heighten Bush administration anxiety, Germany has come out against any Security Council resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had already refused to commit troops to any such war, but hedged on whether he'd back U.N. approval for any action. At a party rally Tuesday night, he aligned himself closely with the French, who have also voiced skepticism over the justification for conflict.

"Don't expect Germany to approve a resolution legitimizing war, don't expect it," Schroeder said.

Just a day earlier, the United States mounted a coordinated diplomatic offensive aimed at getting reluctant allies to back military action.

Clearly displaying his irritation, President Bush mocked calls to give inspectors beyond their Jan. 27 report to complete their job.

"This business about more time, how much time do we need to see clearly that he's not disarming?" Mr. Bush told reporters.

Also Tuesday, the White House released a detailed report called "Apparatus of Lies," documenting what it calls Iraq's "disinformation and propaganda campaigns."

"The Iraqis use elaborate ruses and obvious falsehoods, covert actions and false on-the-record statements, and sophisticated preparation and spontaneous exploitation of opportunities," the report read. "To craft tragedy, the regime places civilians close to military equipment, facilities, and troops, which are legitimate targets in an armed conflict."

The report accuses the Iraqis of leaking false stories to the press, exploiting Islam, forging documents and, "in a particularly shocking practice," holding dead babies for months "so that they can stage mass funeral processions and create the impression that UN sanctions are killing small children."

The report is similar to an effort prior to the 1991 Gulf War to depict atrocities by the Iraqi government. One of the more sensational accusations, that Iraqi soldiers had removed babies from incubators so that they would die, was never substantiated.

In a speech cleared by the White House, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage Tuesday said time was running out for any option except war.

Though no proof has been made public, Armitage said the 16 chemical weapons discovered recently in Iraq were on the tip of an iceberg that illustrates Saddam's duplicity.

"Finding these 16 warheads just raises a basic question: Where are the other 29,984? Because that's how many empty chemical warheads the U.N. Special Commission estimated he had, and he's never accounted for," Armitage said.

White House officials said Armitage's argument previewed the case Mr. Bush will make against Saddam in his State of the Union address. They said Mr. Bush would not announce hostilities or impose a deadline Tuesday night, and they played down prospects of new evidence being revealed.

CBS News Correspondent John Roberts reports that it appears the White House is becoming increasingly convinced that if it comes to war it may be without the blessing of the U.N.

The president faces fierce opposition to the idea of war, not only at the U.N. Security Council, but also among many Democrats on Capitol Hill who said the threat from Iraq is not imminent.

"I continue to be convinced that this is the wrong war at the wrong time," says Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Ma.).

Russia, France, Germany and Syria are Security Council members who say they are unconvinced a war is necessary. France and Russia have veto power, and Germany will soon hold the Council presidency.

Schroeder did not specify whether Germany would vote against a resolution or abstain. The French have left open the possibility of military action against Saddam as a last resort, but Schroeder has not.

Still, British Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane said Wednesday he was confident the United Nations would approve action against Iraq.

"The U.N. will accept its responsibilities in this matter and make sure that Saddam Hussein does not get away with what he has been getting away with for years," MacShane told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Meanwhile, arms monitors, on their daily rounds of surprise inspections, stirred up protests from angry students at Baghdad Technology Institute on Wednesday.

"No War For Oil," read one student's sign in English, reflecting a common Iraqi view that U.S. threats to attack Iraq are motivated by lust for oil.

The U.N. teams Wednesday also made unannounced visits to the Badr Company, an engineering facility south of Baghdad where work was carried out before the 1991 Gulf linked to Iraq's nascent nuclear program; and to Basra University.