Britain sends 30,000 troops to Gulf as the drumbeat of war grows louder

Seven days before the United Nations inspectors present their report on Iraq, Britain ordered the mobilisation of 30,000 assault troops to join the massed American forces.

The force ­ a quarter of the British army ­ will join the American army, on land, sea and air being rapidly assembled in the Gulf. A large US force is already in the area, with 62,000 mobilised in the past 10 days and a further 60,000 on their way.

Britain's contingent, including artillery and armour and 120 main battle tanks, could form part of an invasion force reaching 250,000 as well as a vast naval armada and hundreds of warplanes ready at bases around the world.

As the drumbeat of war grew louder, Baghdad promised Hans Blix, the UN's chief arms inspector, more co-operation. The UN says it needs time to ascertain whether Saddam Hussein is violating UN resolutions banning the possession of weapons of mass destruction. But the momentum of military deployment means time is fast running out. America and Britain repeated yesterday that war could be avoided if President Saddam went into exile with his family ­ an offer rejected by the Baghdad regime.

Yesterday's order of deployment by Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, had been delayed by a week because of the growing and vociferous opposition to war Tony Blair is facing at home.

The size and scale of the allied force being deployed has reinforced the growing consensus over the inevitability of an impending war on Iraq. Mr Hoon announced that a force of 30,000 was being prepared for action with 120 of the Army's main battle tank, the Challenger 2s, which are being made desert-ready at a cost of £100m; armoured cars and artillery; and 150 Warrior personnel carriers.

The 7th Armoured Brigade (the "Desert Rats") reinforced by the 4th Armoured Brigade and 1st (UK) Armoured Division headquarters, plus paratroops from the 16 Air Assault Brigade will form the bulk of the 26,000 force. A further 4,000 will come from the Royal Marines on the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and the helicopter carrier Ocean.

At the same time, hundreds of warplanes including B-2 stealth bombers, F-17 stealth fighters, B-1B bombers, F-15 fighter-bombers, and Predators, with massive firepower, were taking up positions at air bases in Europe and Asia as well as North America.

A vast American and British naval force is now either on its way to the Gulf, or has already arrived. Five nuclear-powered carrier groups -- four US and one British--each with its flotilla of warships and submarines are expected to be in position for the beginning of the campaign. The "super dreadnoughts", more than 1,100ft long with flight decks 250ft across for the 70-plus aircraft on board, will have more than 10,000 marines on board. Their first action may be amphibious assault on the city of Basra in support of a "spontaneous uprising" by locals against President Saddam.

Further indications of the possible pattern of war came with the visit of the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Richard Myers, to Turkey. The two countries are close to agreeing the deployment of 15,000 US troops there, as the first of 80,000 who could go into Iraq from the north. The new Turkish government is facing internal opposition to the country being used as a launchpad, with 80 per cent of the population opposed to war.

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, told the UN Security Council it must not abdicate its responsibility "to disarm" Iraq, whatever the cost. Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, also addressing the Security Council, added to the call for President Saddam to go into exile. General Powell and Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, had indicated Washington would favour dropping possible war crimes charges against the Iraqi leader, in return for his exile.

Mr Straw also suggested on BBC2's Newsnight the Government would be ready to see President Saddam offered immunity if he agreed to relinquish power go into exile.

In Baghdad, Ali Hassan al-Majid, a relation of President Saddam, said: "Who appointed Bush a policeman of the world to apportion chances of this or that? I reiterate this is silly. It is part of psychological war."

¿ Support for war has fallen six points in the past month to 30 per cent, its lowest level yet, a poll in The Guardian says today. Forty-seven per cent said they opposed war, up three points over the same period.