The US and Britain are prepared to launch war against Iraq immediately after the United Nations Security Council votes on a second resolution, regardless of its outcome, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Senior ministers told the British weekly that Prime Minister Tony Blair was prepared to launch military action, irrespective of whether Britain, the United States and Spain secured a majority vote in the UN for the second resolution they have tabled.

A senior minister told the Telegraph: "Win or lose at the UN, the Iraqi army will get flattened

quickly. It will be almost immediate. We are not going to hang around."

The right-wing paper quoted an unnamed minister as saying: "There is a sense of immediacy. It will be two, three weeks from now. Not longer. This is a phoney peace."

Britain's Sunday Express tabloid reported that the US and Britain were set to order military strikes within a fortnight on Iraq, which is accused of failing to give up weapons of mass destruction.

The right-wing newspaper said, however, that Blair was convinced that Britain and the US would win backing for a second UN resolution, and the first bombing raids

were expected to swiftly follow the vote.

Along with Spain and the US, Britain has sponsored a new resolution declaring Iraq in noncompliance with earlier UN demands that it disarm, which would in effect authorise the use of force against President Saddam Hussein's regime.

Reuters from Baghdad adds: Iraq began destroying six more al-Samoud missiles under the supervision of UN inspectors yesterday, stepping up efforts to eliminate the banned weapon as it tries to avert a possible US-led invasion.

Baghdad began dismantling the missile programme by destroying four rockets on Saturday, meeting a key deadline set by chief inspector Hans Blix.

UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) missile experts went to Taji base, 40 km north of Baghdad, yesterday spokesmen for the inspectors Hiro Ueki said.

An Iraqi official later said six al-Samoud missiles were being destroyed. Another team went to a site south of the capital to destroy a casting chamber, Ueki added.

Iraq destroyed four missiles on Saturday at Taji by crushing them with large bulldozers. One casting chamber was destroyed at another site.

UN experts say the roughly 100 surface-to-surface missiles must be destroyed because their range exceeds the 150km limit allowed under previous UN resolutions.

Blix has told Iraq all the missiles and most components should be destroyed. The process is expected to take around two weeks.