Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak  warned the Iraqi government to avoid any missteps in cooperating with U.N. inspectors or expect war, but he said he's not sure Saddam Hussein  comprehends advice offered him. "The strike is coming - coming unless Iraq abides by the resolutions of international legitimacy and ceases to put obstacles in front of the international inspection operations," Mubarak said in an interview published Tuesday with Al-Itihad newspaper of the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt has stepped up it's criticism of Saddam and his government lately, with Egyptian officials and pro-government media openly blaming Saddam for the crisis - moves apparently meant to prepare the overwhelmingly anti-war Arab public for the possibility of a U.S.-led war on Iraq.

"I warn the Iraqi president that the strike will come after any incident that would obstruct the inspection teams and prevent them from entering any site, even if they were presidential palaces," Mubarak said. "If they are not searched they will be destroyed."

Asked if he thinks Iraq accepts and correctly evaluates such warnings, Mubarak said he couldn't be certain: "Usually they don't respond. Sometimes, we feel consent."

"Now, there are obstacles casting doubt on Iraq's intentions that are occurring in front of the international and American public opinion," Mubarak said in unspecified but apparent references to recent areas of friction between Iraq and inspectors such as private interviews of Iraqi scientists and the regime's refusal to allow inspectors to use U-2 overflights in their work.

"They don't understand this. Their understanding has limits because they are not mixing with the world."

Mubarak returned to Egypt on Monday night after a Gulf tour to discuss with leaders of the Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia how to avoid a U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Egypt's increasingly open frustration with Saddam has been seen in the Egyptian media and in Cairo's recent refusal to receive Iraqi envoy Ali Hassan al-Majid, who is also Saddam's cousin and confidante. On Tuesday, the pro-government Akher Saa weekly magazine accused the Iraqi leadership of procrastinating and outmaneuvering the weapons inspectors.

"We wish that the Iraqi leadership would listen to the voice of wisdom in order to clear the dark cloud that overshadows Baghdad and threatens an unpredictable catastrophe," the weekly wrote.

PHOTO CAPTION

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , right, meets with U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks in Cairo Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003. Mubarak has warned that a U.S.-led war on Iraq is imminent unless Baghdad agrees to disarm. (AP Photo/Amr Nabi