The US and UK are to put forward a new UN resolution within the next few days setting Saddam Hussein a 17 March deadline to fulfil a specific list of disarmament criteria or face war. The resolution will force Security Council members to state positively that Iraq has complied with its obligations if they are to oppose military action, by stating: 'The Council decides that Iraq will have failed to take the final opportunity afforded by Resolution 1441 unless, on or before 17 March 2003, the Council decides that Iraq has demonstrated full, unconditional, immediate and active co-operation with its disarmament obligations.' A specific checklist of points on which Iraq must comply is to be set out, based on a report circulated to the UN by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix on 8 March. These are: that Iraq accounts for the Al-Hussein missile system and 50 Scud B missiles which the inspectors said may have been retained; explains the import of 131 Volga engines for its Al-Samoud 2 missile system, the discovery of 231 such engines and documentation for a further 150; accounts for 550 mustard gas shells and 350 R-400 bombs; explains what happened to 80 tonnes of mustard gas and quantities of VX, Sarin and Soman gas. A vote would be called on the resolution within the next week.