ARAB NATIONS BACK U.S. STRIKES.

Byline: David L. Marcus The Boston Globe

President Clinton won key acceptance for an attack on Iraq on Thursday as eight Arab states, as well as Russia and France, signaled they would not oppose U.S. bombing.

Foreign ministers of the Arab countries said Iraq would be ``held responsible for any consequences'' of its decision to expel U.N. weapons inspectors. Their diplomatic language made clear that they will not try to block a strike, as they did during the U.S.-Iraq showdown in February.

Saddam Hussein's obstruction of the United Nations ``will expose the innocent Iraqi people to more miseries and tragedies,'' said the statement, signed by Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

``Kuwait cannot stop a superpower from taking certain steps,'' Kuwait's Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah said after the foreign ministers met in Qatar.

Russia and France, which also opposed U.S. plans for an attack last winter, have not criticized the Clinton administration this time.

The U.N. Security Council will meet to discuss the standoff this afternoon, but U.S. officials said they do not need any more resolutions from the council because Saddam blatantly has broken promises to the international community.

``There is no need for further warnings to Iraq,'' the State Department spokesman, James P. Rubin, said Thursday. ``They understand our seriousness.''

U.S. officials said they see little chance that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will broker an agreement with Saddam this time because the Iraqi leader has lost the confidence of Annan and most U.N. members.

At a news conference shortly after the Arab countries issued their statement, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said an American attack would be ``a sheer aggression of criminals,'' The Associated Press reported. Aziz charged that President Clinton was blocking the completions of arms inspections saying, ``The road is being blocked continuously, stubbornly, illegally by his government,'' according to The Associated Press.

The Clinton administration insists that Saddam must comply with all United Nations resolutions about getting rid of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons because the days of negotiations are over. ``We're not playing games any longer with Saddam Hussein,'' Defense Secretary William Cohen said in a speech to Navy officers. ``We're saying comply.''

All evidence points to a major assault on Republican Guard installations, suspected weapons factories and even Saddam's political offices. In continued preparations for an attack, the Pentagon sent 3,000 more Army troops and 129 aircraft to the gulf, including 12 B-52 bombers and another 12 F-117 stealth fighters to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia from bases in Louisiana, North Dakota and New Mexico, according to the Air Force.

Twenty-five more U.N. employees left Iraq on Thursday, bringing the number of U.N. relief workers and inspectors evacuated to 239 in 24 hours.

The timing of any attack remains unclear. The White House said Clinton still plans to depart Saturday as scheduled for an Asia-Pacific economic summit in Malaysia, the first stop on a 10-day trip. And it appears doubtful he would launch a U.S. military strike while participating in economic talks overseas.

While support abroad grew for a possible attack, Clinton faced doubts at home about what to do after the missiles and bombs fall.

Leading members of Congress and military analysts said a long-range plan is needed because Saddam's intransigence this week shows he is ready to sacrifice the lives of Iraqis while he waits for an end to U.N. economic sanctions.

Some of the toughest questions about what will follow a bombing campaign have come from supporters of the attack. Richard Lugar, a moderate Republican from Indiana who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, repeated a call Thursday for the United States to bomb Baghdad. But in a press conference he added, ``I'm suggesting that even if (we) do, (we) will not get the job done. Therefore, the planning really has to be for stages two, three or four or whatever follows.''

Lugar said the Pentagon would have to do more than an aerial bombing campaign, and that would probably require U.S. ground troops. If Saddam does not give up power, ``I suspect then he will have to be killed,'' Lugar said.

On Capitol Hill, aides said most members of Congress favor an attack but worry that Saddam and his inner circle will survive and rebuild their weapons, as they have before.

``I don't think the administration has a Plan B,'' said one congressional aide who closely follows military matters. ``I'm not sure they know what Plan A is except that they'll use some kind of force.''