As Washington prepares to present what it says is damning evidence about Iraq's weapons programme, the press in Baghdad continues to attack the Bush administration with a mixture of defiance and bravado.

The government-controlled Al Thawrah directly addresses the dossier US Secretary of State Colin Powell is due to present to the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Powell's mission at the UNSC will surely be a failed farce Al Thawrah

"The so-called evidence that the criminal Bush Administration is going to present to the UNSC will not change the conviction of the countries that reject aggression, and the growing peoples' opposition everywhere to American aggression."

'Powell farce'

Al Thawrah, describing President Bush as "this arrogant evil man", says the world is aware Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.

"Therefore Powell's mission at the UNSC comes in the context of the rabid efforts being exerted to pass lies and false accusations. His mission will surely be a failed farce."

There is a dire need for the Arab leaders to send a strong message to those calling for war, killings and crime Babil

A commentary in Al Thawrah seeks to undermine the way Washington obtains its intelligence, saying satellites convey "unstable pictures" and "information conveyed by hirelings is not credible because they invent stories".

"Accusations Baghdad is linked to terrorism lack proof and are scandalously incredible."

The daily controlled by Saddam's son Uday, Babil, presses for an Arab summit due to be held in Bahrain in March to be brought forward.

"Why not hold an extraordinary Arab summit to discuss these aggressive threats and arrive at a unified Arab position towards them.

"There is a dire need for the Arab leaders to send a strong message to those calling for war, killings and crime, to the effect that the nation, peoples and leaders oppose the American threats and stand on the side of Iraq."

'Spirit of victory'

Al-Jumhuriyah reports that Iraqis "are following with great interest Saddam's meetings with army commanders".

Iraqi borders are a knife that will cut any trespassers Al Iraq

"These cordial meetings reflect the spirit of victory. The lessons we learn from Saddam's meetings with the army commanders reinforce our conviction of victory."

Al-Iraq praises Iraqis as being "the sons of the Baath party and the revolution". "They are laying in wait for the perfidious ones; they will destroy any foot or hand trespassing on the land of Iraq."

"Saddam's sons do not get weak or tired; they are vigilant always. Iraqi borders are a knife that will cut any trespassers.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.