United Nations: As a divided UN Security Council engaged in intense discussions on Iraq, Britain on March 13 virtually gave up the hope on the second resolution seeking military action against Baghdad, saying France's stance has made its adoption "less likely than at any time".

However, the United States told the Council members that it was sticking to its March 17 deadline for Iraq to comply with disarmament demands and claimed progress in its campaign.

It was unclear when a vote would be held. But Americans still wanted it this week, possibly tomorrow (March 14) and refused to rule out delaying or abandoning the vote.

British Conservative leader Lain Duncan Smith who met Premier Tony Blair to discuss Iraq issue said Blair told him that a new UN resolution was "now less likely than at any time", because of France's stance which opposes the resolution.

Blair had on March 12 proposed a "to-do" list for Saddam Hussein - six steps to avert war including a television appearance renouncing weapons of mass destruction.

During a tense closed-door three-hour meeting of the Council, Britain offered to abandon the March 17 ultimatum if members approved its list of disarmament tests for Saddam.

"This is a trial balloon, if you like, to see whether this is a way out of our current difficulties ... to see if we can keep the Council together," Britain's UN Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said.

Diplomats said the divisions in the Council were evident during the closed-door meeting, and the British proposal raised many questions.

PTI