WASHINGTON, March 12: President George W. Bush is preparing an ultimatum for President Saddam Hussein that would demand immediate and complete compliance with UN demands, US officials said Wednesday.

They also indicated that the White House is willing to extend the March 17 deadline by a few days and President Bush is expected to announce the new deadline along with his ultimatum remarks.

“The President is already preparing his ultimatum remarks,” said one official.

The talk of giving some more concessions to Iraq follows a growing realization in Washington that going to war without the UN Security Council’s approval could cause the fall of Bush’s closest ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain.

“As President Bush has indicated, America is prepared to go (to war) alone to disarm Iraq but it is Blair that they are concerned about,” said a diplomat from one of the member states of the Security Council after his talks with senior State Department officials.

“As far as the domestic situation is concerned, they can go to war without a UN vote,” he added.

A recent survey of the American public opinion on CNN, showed that 51 per cent Americans favour going to war without UN approval while 45 per cent suggest seeking an approval. The rest are undecided.

On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also suggested that the United States was prepared to invade Iraq alone, even without British help.

After his news conference and urgent calls from British officials, Rumsfeld said he still expected British support.

“In the event that a decision to use force is made, we have every reason to believe there will be a significant military contribution from the United Kingdom,” Rumsfeld said later in a statement.

Bush and Blair have both said they would disarm Iraq, if necessary, with a coalition of allies if the UN refuses to pass the resolution. But UN backing would give a war international legitimacy and ensure that the costs of reconstruction would be shared by the organization.