America yesterday hailed the first success in its campaign to persuade the world to confront Saddam Hussein when France said that Iraq should be given a three-week ultimatum to admit weapons inspectors. President Jacques Chirac shifted noticeably closer to the American position by proposing a two-step process by the United Nations Security Council that could lead to a formal authorisation for military force against Iraq. As President George W Bush prepared a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, the White House said: "It appears that a movement is budding to put some force into previous UN resolutions."...