Wearing desert combat uniforms and an air of determination, thousands of U.S. soldiers are headed to the Middle East. For months the U.S. and Iraq have traded insults and threats. Now the U.S. is ready for war.
In a speech at the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. military, President Bill Clinton said Iraq's ruler Saddam Hussein had failed to "play by the rules." If Saddam rejects peace, Clinton said, then force "is the only answer."
The U.S. insists that Saddam allow inspectors from the United Nations (U.N.) to search for illegal weapons in Iraq. Although Saddam had agreed to this, he has blocked inspection of some suspected hiding places.
How do Americans feel about war with Iraq? They are divided. At a public meeting last week in Ohio, three top Clinton advisers were jeered by protesters. Many criticized the war plans.
The meeting, which was held at Ohio State University in Columbus, was broadcast live on CNN. People all over the world saw Americans questioning U.S. policy.
Last Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan traveled to Iraq. He is making one last effort to find a peaceful solution.
But, said Clinton, "if diplomacy fails...we are prepared to act. The choice is Saddam Hussein's."