New York: Iraq's rejection of any new United Nations resolution that toughens the terms of disarmament appeared calculated to widen the gap dividing US and Britain from the other big powers at the UN as they were struggling to find a common approach to confront President Saddam Hussein, analysts say.

If it stands as Iraq's last word, this refusal could also mark the beginning of the transition from diplomacy to war in the Persian Gulf, as US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were already wheeling their military forces to higher states of readiness, a media report quoted analysts as saying.

The statements from two of Hussein's top aides, Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan and Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, made it apparent that Hussein was seeking to disrupt the Bush administration's diplomacy as American and British diplomats were engaging in urgent consultations with France, Russia and China, the 'New York Times' said.

It is yet unclear how these statements would play out at the diplomatic level, the report said, adding it could make the Bush administration's task of explaining its position easier. But it could also alarm Europeans who are already opposing any military action as they are not convinced that an immediate threat exits, analysts say.

That would strengthen the position of those UN Security Council members who would like the US and UK to tone down their insistence on tight deadlines and demands that to some appeared too provocative and, therefore, unlikely to test the possibility for a negotiated outcome.

PTI