Sources: U.S. wants 40,000 troops in Turkey

Powell: Iraq has 'utterly failed'

Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix will deliver a status report Monday to the U.N. Security Council.

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PERSPECTIVE Rob Sobhani of Georgetown University, on the possibility of exile for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein: "Saddam Hussein has always viewed himself as the leader of the Arab world. He's seen himself as the leader of the anti-American coalition in the Muslim world. He also sees himself as the leader of the anti-Israel coalition in the Muslim world. And therefore, I think it would be very, very difficult to imagine a scenario where he will accept exile. It would really be the last resort. But if I were to bet, I would say no. "The broader issue here is that the Arab governments in the region -- particularly Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt -- who are calling for exile are very worried about the implications of a war. If the United States goes into Iraq, it could inflame the passions within their countries. And that's what they're really worried for, and that's why they're tabling this offer of exile for Saddam Hussein. It's not so much to save Saddam Hussein, but it's to save themselves from a potential domestic problem." VIDEO CNN's correspondents gauge the reaction across the Arab region to the looming possibility of war with Iraq. PLAY VIDEO CNN's David Ensor says the Bush administration is considering releasing some intelligence data to make its case for war against Iraq. PLAY VIDEO RELATED Special Report: Showdown: Iraq  Interactive: U.S. military deployments  • Iraq Tracker archive

(CNN) -- With events moving closer to a possible war with Iraq, here is a look at some of the latest developments around the world:

ROAD TO WAR?

• U.S. TALKS TURKEY: The United States would like to put 40,000 troops in Turkey, sources said Sunday. Turkey has yet to provide any assurances to the Bush administration that its bases could be used in a military campaign against Iraq. The United States had earlier asked this month to station 80,000 U.S. forces in Turkey, which borders Iraq. The U.S. military already has thousands of troops in Turkey, and its Incirlik air base is used by U.S. and British planes that patrol the northern no-fly zone over Iraq.

• POWELL BLAMES IRAQ: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime had "utterly failed" to comply with U.N. resolutions demanding disarmament. "There is no indication that Iraq has made the strategic decision to disarm," Powell told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He added that the United States had no selfish motives in the standoff. "We seek nothing for ourselves other than to bring security" to the region, Powell said. (Full story)

• IRAQI SITES HIT: U.S. and British aircraft targeted five sites in Iraq's southern no-fly zone Sunday that officials said were facilities that could be used for communications in targeting coalition aircraft. The sites were located between Al Kut, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, and An Nasiriyah, about 170 miles southeast of Baghdad, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.

• INSPECTORS PRESS ON: A day before their leaders are to present a status report to the U.N. Security Council, U.N. weapons inspectors visited at least nine sites in Iraq on Sunday, according to Iraq's Ministry of Information. The sites included a company that specializes in the production of spare parts for missiles, a state company that manufactures ammunition and armaments, and a pair of locations listed as biological research facilities by the U.S. dossier on Iraq's weapons programs.

WAR OF WORDS

• U.N. weapons inspectors must be given enough time to do their job, but the work should not be open-ended, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday. "I don't believe it will take them months to find out whether he [Saddam Hussein] is cooperating or not, but they should have whatever time they need," Blair said on BBC television. He added, "If he [Saddam] fails to cooperate in being honest and he is pursuing a program of concealment, that is every bit as much a breach as finding a missile or a chemical agent," Blair said. (Full story)

• White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card refused Sunday to rule out the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iraq. "Should Saddam Hussein have any thought that he would use a weapon of mass destruction, he should anticipate that the United States will use whatever means necessary to protect us and the world from a holocaust," Card told NBC's "Meet the Press." Asked if that means the United States might use nuclear weapons, Card said, "I'm not going to put anything on the table or off the table, but we have a responsibility to make sure Saddam Hussein or his generals do not use weapons of mass destruction."

• A newspaper owned by Uday Hussein, son of Saddam Hussein, warned Sunday that U.S. and British soldiers would come home in "plastic bags" if they invade Iraq, The Associated Press reported. "The British and American troops will have no choice but to flee or meet the same fate that met their predecessors and that's to return home in plastic bags," said the newspaper Babil. "The number of these bags will be so huge that neither Bush nor his insignificant sidekick Blair would be able to hide or lie about."

IMPACT

• In the week ahead, it is the possibility of war with Iraq that will draw Wall Street's attention. As the Bush administration hammered on its case against Iraq, investors took a hammering on Wall Street as fears of war drove stock prices down Friday. European and Asian markets were hit hard, too, as was the dollar versus other currencies. Some investors found comfort in buying gold, driving its price to a six-year high. (Full story)

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