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The prime minister, Tony Blair, today spelled out Britain's final demands for the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, to give up his weapons of mass destruction or face military action.
The government has drawn up a list of six "benchmarks" against which Iraqi compliance with United Nations demands to disarm can be judged.
They include a demand for Saddam to make a public declaration on Iraqi television that he has been hiding banned weapons materials but has now made a "strategic decision" to give them up.
It must be followed by the destruction "forthwith" of Iraq's remaining stocks of anthrax and other biological and chemical materials.
Mr Blair also made it clear that UK troops would take part in any US-led military action, following comments yesterday by the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, that America could "go it alone" if there was no political support in Britain for war.
He said: "What is at stake is not whether the US goes alone or not, it is whether the international community is prepared to back up the clear instruction it gave Saddam Hussein with the necessary action," he said. "That is why I am determined to hold to the course we have set out."
As part of the key tests for Iraq, Britain is also calling for 30 key Iraq scientists to travel to Cyprus to be interviewed by the UN weapons inspectors and the destruction of any Iraqi unmanned aerial drones which could be used to launch chemical or biological weapons.
Straw spells out key tests for Saddam
The proposals are intended to try to win round "waverers" on the UN security council in an attempt to secure the nine votes needed for a new resolution.
In the Commons, Mr Blair confirmed that Britain and the US intended to put their draft resolution to a vote in the security council by the end of the week. He said that it was now essential to send "the strongest possible signal out to Saddam Hussein that he has now to disarm or face the consequences".
Blair working "flat out" for new resoultion
Despite divisions in his government and France's insistence it will use its UN security council veto Mr Blair said he would do everything he could to push through the second UN resolution insisting Iraq disarm.
Mr Blair said President Saddam could avoid war now by complying with the existing resolution, 1441, but added that "the worst thing that could happen is for him to defy that will [of the UN] and then for no action" to take place.
Britain and its allies were trying to draw up a resolution setting out "a very clear set of tests for Iraq to meet in order to demonstrate that it is in full compliance," Mr Blair said.
Security council members France, Russia and China oppose a "rush to war" and want more time for UN weapons inspectors but Mr Blair said Britain continued to work "flat out" for a second resolution, which would effectively authorise military action, that would uphold UN authority. Minute-by-minute report on PMQ's
Hoon plays down US doubts about British role in war
Earlier today the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, insisted Britain's position over war in Iraq has not been undermined by Mr Rumsfeld's comments that the US could go to war alone.
Mr Hoon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there was every reason to believe Britain would make a "significant military contribution" to a US-led war in Iraq.
Last night Mr Rumsfeld suggested that British forces could be mere spectators - taking up a peacekeeping role after a US invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.
Mr Hoon denied that Mr Rumsfeld's comments had pulled the rug from under Britain's position. "I don't accept that for a moment," he said. "He [Donald Rumsfeld] said quite clearly that he had no doubt of the full support of the United Kingdom for the international community's efforts to disarm Iraq.
Hoon defends government after Rumsfeld comments
Anti-US protesters clash with Turkish soldiers
Turkish soldiers fired shots in the air and police clashed with peace demonstrators today as they tried to enter the southern Turkish port of Iskenderun where US forces are unloading material ahead of an Iraq war.
Dozens of protesters of the Turkish Communist party walked toward the base chanting "USA get out! This country is ours".
Turkish soldiers shot in the air as the demonstrators tried to push their way past the security cordon, waving red flags. Police wielding truncheons clashed with the demonstrators and detained at least four people, private television CNN-Turk reported.
No US soldiers were involved in the clashes. US support equipment, including heavy vehicles, fuel trucks, and flatbed trucks, have been unloaded in Iskenderun, Turkey's easternmost port, in recent weeks. The materiel has been transported to waiting stations near the Turkish-Iraqi border.
The equipment is for the renovation of Turkish bases and ports, which Washington hopes to use in case of war in Iraq.
Washington has been pressing Turkey to authorise the deployment of more than 60,000 US combat troops in Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq. The United States cannot unload attack material, such as tanks and weapons, without that authorisation.
Several US ships have been waiting off Iskenderun's coast to unload equipment for the 4th Infantry Division.
The parliament rejected a government-backed resolution authorising the deployment earlier this month, but Turkish leaders are considering resubmitting the resolution to parliament.
Turks are overwhelmingly opposed to any war in Iraq, but the government says Turkey cannot risk alienating the United States, its closest ally. Ankara also fears losing a say in the future of Iraq.
Spain open to changing second UN resolution
Spain is open to changes to the second resolution on Iraq currently before the UN security council, but the measure must ensure the "total disarmament" of President Saddam, Spain's foreign minister said today.
Ana Palacio arrived in Paris this morning for talks with her French counterpart, Dominique de Villepin, who has emerged as one of the leading anti-war protagonists in the current UN diplomatic deadlock over Iraq.
At the top of the agenda for their meeting were possible revisions in the draft resolution before the United Nations, tabled by Britain, the US and Spain, that would clear the way for war after March 17 unless Iraq fully disarmed. France, Russia and China oppose the proposal.
Before meeting with Mr De Villepin, Ms Palacio told Europe-1 radio station: "The resolution has been proposed, but that's not to say it won't be changed before coming up for a vote."
Ms Palacio suggested there was room for compromise with nations such as France, which has vowed to block any proposal that would automatically pave the way for military action against Baghdad. "Any compromise should reflect the objective of total disarmament," Ms Palacio said.
Six countries on the security council have proposed giving Iraq 45 days to disarm, while the United States is pushing for a shorter deadline of seven to 10 days from the resolution's passage.
Ms Palacio said it shouldn't take that long for Iraq to show its willingness to disarm. "What Spain thinks is important is a strategic change in the position of Saddam Hussein, a will to disarm," she said. "If one has thewill, one can show that will without taking a long time."