Senator says war could be a week away

It’s very possible the U.S. will be at war in the Persian Gulf within one week, according to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. It’ll apparently be Thursday at the earliest before the U.N. Security Council votes on a resolution that would give Saddam Hussein another ultimatum. Until then, the council will be discussing the crisis — while the U.S. and Britain try to build support for the resolution. Grassley says it’d be a comfort, but not a requirement, to have the U-N’s backing before the U.S. goes to war. He says it’s not necessary to rely on the U.N. to protect U.S. interests, although there is some moral authority in having U.N. support.Grassley, a Republican, names several of examples in recent history when a Democrat took military action without first seeking the approval of the United Nations. He says President Clinton didn’t go to the U.N. before bombing in Bosnia, or before he sent cruise missiles into the Sudan or Afghanistan when he went after Alquaida.The Bush administration had hoped for a Security Council vote as early as today, but with French and Russian opposition, that’s been put off. President Bush has given Iraq until next Monday, March 17th, to disarm.