The new standoff - over Iraq's refusal to hand over key documents on chemical and biological weapons - comes less than two weeks after President Clinton called off airstrikes and Iraq agreed to lift its ban on U.N. arms inspections.

"We have in place in the [Persian] Gulf enough capability to carry out any military options the president might decide would be required," Cohen said.

But "a lot of questions have to be asked and answered," he said.

Iraq, standing its ground, delivered an 18-page letter to the United Nations denying it's refusing to cooperate and insisting the documents don't exist.

The State Department dismissed that as a flimsy "the dog ate my homework" excuse.

Meanwhile, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was having his own problems at home - Baghdad TV reported that one of his deputies escaped an attempted assassination by grenade-tossing attackers.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, which came days after U.S. and British officials vowed to work with exiled Iraqi dissidents to improve the chances of removing Saddam.

-- Marilyn Rauber and Midknight - 11/25/98