But several analysts said U.S. action -- if it took place at all -- was unlikely in the next six months for both military and political reasons.

They pointing to depleted laser-guided weapons stocks after the war in Afghanistan and opposition from key nations such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey as well as some NATO allies.

Retired Adm. Steve Baker, who commanded the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier during the Gulf War, said the United States would only attack Iraq when it was certain it had "overwhelming force" to be successful and not before.

"For that reason, I don't see it happening at the very earliest until fall this year or spring next year. Any kind of failure or less than 100 percent success in Iraq is totally unacceptable, particularly to the Bush administration."

"I don't think we would ever contemplate a limited response. The risk is too high," he said.

Baker said laser-guided weapons were now at "war-time reserve levels" and that weapons manufacturers were working around the clock to boost supplies.

Raising jitters over military action, President Bush has repeatedly warned Baghdad in recent weeks that Washington would not stand by while Iraq developed weapons of mass destruction and refused to allow U.N. weapons inspectors into the country.

However, Arab leaders and some Europeans caution any military action against Iraq would smash global cooperation against terrorism and further destabilize the region.

Andrew Krepinevich, executive director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said if the Pentagon were planning a low-risk campaign against Iraq, it would take several months before any bombing began.

"I think the military would be more than happy to say 'look we are still not done with Afghanistan and we don't want to be fighting a war on two fronts,"' he said.

U.S. WILL HAVE TOUGH FIGHT AHEAD

Another factor pointing against imminent action was the windy spring weather in Iraq, which brought with it dangerous sand storms that played havoc with military equipment.

"A September to March time frame would be a more attractive window (for military action), I would think," said Krepinevich.

Echoing other views, Krepinevich predicted the United States would push heavily for U.N. weapons inspectors to return to Iraq and then use Baghdad's anticipated refusal to muster international support for strong military action.

While massive military action was unlikely soon, Baker suggested the United States might send in covert forces to suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons sites in Iraq to prove to the world that it was dangerous.

"If we had credible evidence ... of chemical and biological facilities that are there in Iraq, that helps out our effort quite a lot."

One of the biggest hurdles for Washington is on the diplomatic front, with Saudi Arabia reluctant to allow U.S. forces to use its land as a base for attacks against Iraq, said Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"The constraints (for launching a big attack) at the moment are not so much American assets and readiness but the support of allies in the region," Cordesman said.

"The problem is not which allies are reluctant, it's which allies are not reluctant," he added.

Vice President Dick Cheney is set to make a trip to the Middle East in mid-March, when he is expected to try to boost support for possible military action against Iraq.

While it was becoming more and more difficult for Iraq to get weapons, military analysts said Baghdad was still a force to be reckoned with.

In a report last month, Cordesman said despite the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq was the most effective military power in the Gulf, with an army of around 375,000 men, about 2,200 main battle tanks, 3,700 other armored vehicles, 2,400 major artillery weapons and over 300 fixed-wing combat aircraft.

But he said Iraq lacked the training, funds, spare parts and production capabilities to sustain the quality of its forces.

Suggestions for U.S. troop commitments needed to defeat Iraq range as high as 200,000 but Baker predicted about half that amount would be enough to do the job.

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml;jsessionid=4PN30CEBNPS5KCRBAELCFEYKEEARKIWD?type=topnews&StoryID=641235