Iraqi Prospect Organisation - Print this - News Analysis: December 29, 2002

Saudi Arabia joins the growing list of counries willing to offer support for military operations against Saddam
NATO military involvement is now guaranteed with Secretary-General Lord Robertson saying they have a "moral obligation" to support the war on Saddam.

US military presence in the Gulf continues to be stepped up with two more aircraft carriers and at least 50,000 more troops set to arrive in the Gulf in the first week of January. At the same time the US Navy has been ordered to be on 96-hour standby after a certain date.

To show that nothing can distract their attention from Iraq, the US describes the nuclear stand-off with North Korea as "not yet a crisis". At the same time Bush is already discussing post-Saddam plans.
More leaflets urging the Iraqi people to rise up against Saddam have been dropped south of Baghdad.
Arab leaders are offering Saddam exile to avoid war - fearing that war would make their rule vulnerable to their people and the US.