US forces ready to attack

WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush has been briefed by senior Pentagon officials that troops are now awaiting orders to attack Iraq.

Senior officials revealed such orders could come as early as Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Manila).

Mr. Bush has given Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons Uday and Qusay to get out of Iraq and go into exile by 8 p.m. ET Wednesday (9 a.m. Thursday in Manila) — 4 a.m. in Baghdad.

Two senior officials, however, noted Bush’s televised ultimatum said the United States would attack "at a time of its choosing."

The same words were used by Bush when the US led a coalition of forces in overthrowing the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

"There is no magic to tomorrow (Wednesday) night in terms of military action," one of the senior officials told CNN.

The other official said "the President will make the military decision based on what the military thinks is best. The deadline is a political deadline for Saddam Hussein."

Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Mohammed Aldouri denounced the ultimatum as "illegal, immoral and unjustifiable."

"This is the first time in history the president of a state ordered the president of another state to leave his own country. It is a mess," Aldouri said. "We reject totally this madness."

From Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri called Bush an "idiot" and said his ultimatum was an "expression of frustration and isolation."

"His (Bush) speech is another indication of frustration and big failure, of disappointment and desperation, and by that he is pushing himself to the, over the cliff–just like (British Prime Minister Tony ) Blair is being pushed down from over a cliff," he said.