Should [Saddam Hussein] choose to leave the country along with a lot of the other henchmen who tortured the Iraqi people, we would welcome that of course George W Bush

Mr Bush warned that the diplomatic push to disarm Iraq peacefully would last "weeks, not months".

The president also said he would welcome exile for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his aides as a way to resolve the current crisis.

Iraq has invited the top UN weapons inspectors - Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei - back to Baghdad before they report back to the UN Security Council on 14 February.

Mr Blix and Mr ElBaradei, who heads the UN nuclear watchdog, were invited to visit Baghdad before 10 February, the Iraqi foreign ministry said.

	:	Who backs war?
Where key nations stand on Iraq

Mr Bush is holding talks in Washington with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday, and Britain's Tony Blair on Friday.

Mr Blair stopped in Madrid en route to Washington for talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

Mr Blair said "we must support the inspectors," but he warned that "if disarmament cannot happen through the inspections, then it must happen by other means".

KEY DATES

31 Jan - Bush meets Blair 5 Feb - Powell to address UN Security Council 14 Feb - Further report from weapons inspectors 27 Mar - Blix submits new report to UN

Next steps in full

Earlier on Thursday, the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic published an open letter expressing solidarity with the United States over disarming Iraq.

But Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis - whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union - criticised the statement.

"The way in which the initiative on the issue of Iraq was expressed does not contribute to the common approach to the problem," he said.

Analysts say the letter is an apparent rebuff to France and Germany, whose leaders have expressed reluctance to approve military action against Baghdad and were not invited to sign the letter.

US builds coalition

In related developments:

• Nine countries have pledged to send troops to help US forces in the event of war with Iraq, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said. He added that US forces would also have access to 21 countries and 19 would allow overflights.

• France reaffirmed its opposition to an attack on Iraq without a fresh UN resolution.

• Germany rejected allegations that it was isolated internationally.

• President Bush is meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal on Thursday.

• Iraq issued a letter protesting at "misrepresentations" in this week's progress report by United Nations weapons inspectors.

• The UN Security Council is discussing the report ahead of next week's key address by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, which Washington says will give fresh evidence that Iraq has illegal weapons.

• The European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the US not to take unilateral military action against Iraq and for the UN to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

• Russia called for more diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and demanded that Washington provide "undeniable proof" that Iraq has illegal weapons of mass destruction.

• Mohamed ElBaradei said he could complete his inspections in a matter of months - if the Security Council allowed them that much time.

• The Iraqi opposition said US troops were already in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq - but the Pentagon said there were no "significant forces" in the area "right now".