Washington ? President Bush put allies on notice Thursday that diplomacy would give way to a decision on war in “weeks, not months.” Wary world leaders and congressional critics urged patience and demanded proof of Iraq’s transgressions.

Opening an 11th-hour campaign to sway a wide array of skeptics, the president said, “For the sake of peace, this issue must be resolved.” His advisers said Bush would maintain consultations with allies through mid-February, when the next U.N. weapons inspectors’ report is expected to force talks to closure.

In a flurry of diplomatic activity, Bush met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, placed calls to leaders of Portugal and Sweden, dispatched top advisers throughout Washington to argue his case, and broached the possibility of allowing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq for a safe haven — all actions aimed at pressuring both Baghdad and balking U.S. allies.

Abroad, eight European leaders signed a letter in support of Bush’s position and, in Jordan, the government agreed to base U.S. troops in the kingdom.

But the president’s position met resistance from many corners, including Democratic and Republican lawmakers, a delegation from Pakistan, former South African President Nelson Mandela and the Canadian foreign minister, who said his nation opposed unilateral American action.

“If one state acts by itself it risks consequences,” Bill Graham said after meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Meanwhile, a U.S. official said Powell would not bring “a smoking gun” against Iraq to the United Nations next week but would have circumstantial evidence to make a convincing case that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. The official said Powell was bringing information that clearly showed that Iraq was in material breach of the latest Security Council resolution.

Another ally wavered at the White House, when Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri told Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney his country preferred any military action be approved by the United Nations. He warned that war casualties could inflame his fellow citizens.

“There will be a reaction to the events in Iraq,” Kasuri said.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., said Bush’s approach had made the United States seem “like a bunch of cowboys” too eager to strike Saddam.

And Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island suggested the danger posed by Saddam appeared to be diminished because of international pressure.

Troops gather

The gears of war kept grinding.

The buildup of U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf region is now approaching 90,000 land, sea and air forces, and that number likely will double within two weeks, officials said Thursday. By mid-February there are expected to be nearly 180,000 troops in the region, and the total could reach 250,000 later.

On the eve of Bush’s Camp David meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair, the British government prepared to call up 6,000 military reservists for possible Iraq duty. That is four times the number previously announced.

Blair, the president’s staunchest supporter, said in Spain that he was convinced that the United Nations would back a military attack on Iraq if Saddam refuses to disarm.

New attacks?

War could expose the United States to new terrorist attacks, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said.

“As we plan for a military engagement — plan for it — it would be irresponsible for us not to contemplate the possibility that it might precipitate other attacks,” he said.

In Baghdad, Iraq’s ruling party dismissed Bush’s State of the Union address as a “Hollywood farce” and said he had offered no evidence to support U.S. accusations that Saddam is hiding chemical and biological weapons.

Iraq also invited the chief U.N. inspectors to Baghdad for talks aimed at improving cooperation before their next report to the Security Council on Feb. 14.

That report will likely usher in the end of consultations between Bush and his U.N. allies and force a decision on war, several senior administration officials said on condition of anonymity.

“This is a matter of weeks, not months,” Bush said of the consultation process.

But the president is not putting a firm deadline on talks because too many factors will drive the diplomatic work, including the status of negotiations over a possible second resolution — or even unforeseen change of heart from Saddam, a coup or exile.

If Saddam has not disarmed and diplomacy has run its course when the U.N. report is filed, Bush is unlikely to condone more weapons inspections, officials said. The president’s next step would be to force the U.N. to choose between authorizing military action or leaving it to the United States to wage war with willing allies.

One Bush option is to seek a second U.N. resolution, either authorizing force or simply declaring Saddam in violation of last fall’s version. Bush discussed the idea with Berlusconi, who wants a second resolution.

Bush has not committed to one.