Professor Des Ball, of Canberra's Australian National University (ANU), said instead of putting an end to terrorism, coalition forces would have effectively strengthened al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks by the end of the war.

Ball, a specialist in intelligence and defence studies at the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, predicted that coalition forces would be successful in capturing or killing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and toppling his regime.

But he said the war would diminish the security of the US, Australia and other allies.

"The coalition has very likely already lost this war," said Ball.

"Saddam and his regime will go but the coalition's other war aims, I believe, are in tatters."

He said it did not seem likely that coalition forces would find any substantial quantities of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

"At least of the source that will persuade world public opinion that their removal was worth the price," he said.

"Even if chemical weapons are used in the defence of Baghdad that will be seen ... as a more legitimate means of last-ditch self-defence rather than evidence of any offensive capabilities of being any worse than coalition air and missile bombardments."

Ball also warned that coalition forces would fail to produce evidence of links between terrorist network al-Qaeda and Iraq that would satisfy world opinion.

"Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups will be strengthened by the war, in Iraq itself as well as around the rest of the world," he said.

"Most importantly, the aim of liberating the Iraqi people from the despotic Saddam regime has now probably been foreclosed.

"The coalition faces defeat in the sense that it's likely to emerge from this war with its global interests more threatened, its strategic standing in the world more challenged and its security, the security of the United States and its allies, ultimately diminished.

"It would take a brave person to argue that the security of the world is going to end up being enhanced by this war."

Ball said the coalition's strategy of shock and awe and its focus on the Iraqi leadership had failed.

WAR.WIRE