Analysts in the UK say the move is in part designed to demonstrate that the second resolution, if it fails, was subject to an 'unreasonable' veto. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said only in circumstances in which such a veto was exercised would he authorise the use of force against Iraq. Several members of the British government are expected to resign and a rebellion among MPs in the ruling party is possible if the UK joins an attack on Iraq without specific UN authorisation. France announced on 13 March that the amendment failed to address French objections to the second resolution.

What is expected to be a make-or-break meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council is due to open at the UN's headquarters in New York at 2000 GMT on 13 March, the world body has announced.

The UK proposals were circulated to security council members on 12 March.

Before the initiative, only four security council members said they supported the second resolution which is widely interpreted as providing an automatic trigger for war. They are Bulgaria, Spain, the UK and the US. Against the resolution were three permanent members of the council-China, France and Russia-and Germany and Syria. The other six members of the council have declared themselves to be undecided.

The six conditions in the UK proposals

* Make public statement admitting he has weapons of mass destruction and will give them up

* Allow 30 Iraqi scientists to be interviewed outside Iraq

* Surrender stocks of biological and chemical agents, or produce documents to demonstrate what happened to them

* Pledge to destroy banned missiles

* Account for drones that can spray chemical agents

* Commit to give up all mobile bio-production laboratories.