Powell Plays Down 'smoking Gun' Expectations

The US secretary of state, Colin Powell, has dampened expectations that he will unveil a "smoking gun" on Iraq's record of compliance with weapons inspectors when he presents evidence to the UN security council tomorrow.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Mr Powell said that he would present "no smoking gun" at tomorrow's crucial one-hour briefing in New York. During it, he will attempt to convince the 15-member council that Iraq has been flouting UN resolution 1441.

Instead, Mr Powell said, he would "offer a straightforward, sober and compelling demonstration" that Saddam Hussein's regime has not been cooperating with UN inspectors over the last two months.

He added: "We will not shrink from war if that is the only way to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction."

Mr Powell is expected to present evidence to the security council that Iraq has hidden large caches of weapons of mass destruction from international inspectors and defied calls on it to disarm.

The evidence is said to include photographs of mobile biological weapons laboratories and transcripts of overheard conversations.

The chairman of the House of Representatives' armed services committee, Duncan Hunter, said that he expected the evidence to show details of a transfer of technology from other countries and the relocation of weapons systems within Iraq.

Mr Powell's presentation will form the centrepiece of a strenuous campaign to enlist support from Russia, France and other sceptical permanent UN members.

A series of meetings with foreign ministers and ambassadors from all 14 security council nations is also planned as part of a public relations onslaught to test external opinion about the possibility of using force to disarm Iraq.

In London, the prime minister, Tony Blair, said: "Show weakness now, and no-one will ever believe us when we try to show strength in the future."

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today said that there was no need for another security council resolution authorising force against Iraq, but that he would not rule one out.

"The inspectors need to tell us what more they need from Iraq, what else can be demanded of Iraq so that their works could be more effective," he added.

Russia and France, both of whom hold veto power in the security council, are prime targets of Mr Powell's briefing tomorrow.