U.S. willing to disarm Iraq without 2nd U.N. resolution, Bush says.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Bob Kemper

WASHINGTON _ President Bush on Friday said he would welcome a second U.N. resolution formally authorizing the use of military force against Iraq but warned that the United States would not tolerate delays and remained willing to act without U.N. approval.

"This issue will come to a head in a matter of weeks, not months," Bush said at a White House appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his staunchest ally in the Iraq standoff. "Any attempt to drag this process out for months will be resisted by the United States."

Blair chided Bush's critics abroad, who complain that the United States is pushing too quickly for military action. He also said the original U.N. resolution calling for new weapons inspections made it clear that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein faced "serious consequences" should he refuse to abandon efforts to build chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

"This is a test for the international community," Blair said. "It's not just a test for the United States or for …