CLINTON TO PROMOTE IRAQ STRIKE.

Byline: Ron Fournier Associated Press 

Creeping closer to conflict with Iraq, White House advisers met Monday to plan a series of public events designed to brace the American public for risky military strikes against Saddam Hussein.

President Clinton, returning from a Presidents Day respite at Camp David, begins a week of chest pounding by addressing American military leaders and personnel today at the Pentagon. The next day, the president's foreign policy team will conduct a town hall meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

``We will be increasing the pace of the dialogue both with the American people and the international community so they will understand our determination to see that Iraq complies with United Nations Security Council resolutions,'' said spokesman P.J. Crowley.

Clinton was not expected to break new ground in today's address, but aides said it offers him the best opportunity yet to fully explain the objectives and risks of military action. Advisers have privately complained that the media have paid little attention to the potential conflict, focusing instead on allegations that Clinton had an affair with a White House intern and tried to cover it up.

Aides said the president's speech would highlight:

The global danger posed by Saddam's suspected production of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.

Clinton's resolve to ``diminish and reduce'' Saddam's arsenal through air strikes, if necessary. He has previously vowed to eliminate the weapons, a goal advisers say cannot be achieved by air.

His foremost desire to solve the matter diplomatically and put U.N weapons inspectors back on the job of ferreting out Saddam's weapons.

The risks to U.S. military personnel and Iraqi civilians in the event of air strikes. Military leaders have said in recent days that U.S. casualties should be expected. Clinton is expected to echo the words of National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, ``There is no cost-free, risk-free option.''

In hopes of preparing Americans for conflict, aides have discussed a number of options, including a prime-time address. Such a high-profile presidential statement is not expected this week, if at all, aides said.

Berger, who will join Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Defense Secretary William Cohen in Ohio, also plans to address Middle East and European citizens by satellite. Clinton has been unable to match the international coalition that went to war against Saddam in 1991.

Albright, known for her ability to discuss foreign policy in laymen's terms, is expected to visit several other U.S. cities while Washington and Baghdad edge toward military blows.

The administration has its work cut out. In a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Monday, 54 percent of Americans surveyed said they favor more diplomatic action, up from 46 percent Feb. 1. Sixty-four percent said the goal should be to remove Saddam from power, while 31 percent said air strikes should be used to ``substantially reduce'' Iraq's capacity to develop mass weapons.

The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 to 5 percentage points, depending on the question, surveyed 1,014 adults Friday through Sunday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military continued to prepare for an attack. About 3,000 infantry soldiers based at Fort Stewart, Ga., got their orders Monday to deploy to Kuwait to help defend against a possible Iraqi counterattack. They will join more than 25,000 U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf, 320 aircraft and two U.S. carriers.