Iraq's flag was still flying outside its permanent mission to the United Nations in uptown Manhattan, but literally a block away, the drumbeat for war was thumping its way down Fifth Avenue.

The quiet, unadorned hallways of the Iraqi mission were a sharp contrast to the boisterous St Patrick Day Parade crowds nearby that whistled and clapped for police and firemen marching with US flags, carrying signs saying 'Remember 9-11, support our troops.'

"They're celebrating," said Osama Altayi, assistant to the Iraqi ambassador to the UN, as he answered calls from reporters looking for interviews. "We're doing our best to prevent war."

"Bush's father should have gotten rid of Saddam Hussein the first time we were there," said Kurtis Lee, who came from Riverside, New Jersey, to take in Monday's parade and sunny weather with his family. "Now George W Bush has to take care of his father's mistakes."

"I really wish we could just nuke them since these regimes are all like a bunch of cults," Lee continued. "We can't just do the talking, we have to show them our power."

Lee reflected the militaristic tone the parade possessed. Fighting songs were drummed, American flags fluttered, and among the firefighters and policemen were parading Air Force, Navy and Military cadets, even a group dressed as Civil War soldiers, complete with bayonets.

Security for the parade was tight as the city remains at the threat risk of  'orange.' Officers, ready to be deployed at sensitive locations in the event of war, checked bags, while helicopters flew low overhead.

On the other hand, only a lone police cruiser was parked on guard outside the nondescript gray-brick Iraqi mission. The officer said he was there for protection, but said no incidents had occurred outside, except for one man who wanted his picture outside the mission's steps.

"I don't know if they are letting anyone inside," the officer said. "But I don't think today is a good time to visit."

The United States, along with the United Kingdom and Spain, announced on Monday that their diplomatic efforts at the UN were over, effectively setting the stage for an invasion of Iraq.

Inside, as it is outside, the mission is unadorned. No pictures hang from any of the walls, except for a small portrait of Saddam Hussein above the reception desk, the center of activity in the mission.

The staff of four that remained inside the mission glumly sat around a television and watched the day's events unfold on Al Jazeera, the Arab news broadcaster.

A question about the plight of Iraqis likely to be caught in the middle of the conflict was answered with helpless shrugs and sighs.

"We've been working night and day," Altayi said, insisting that the mission would not close even if war were to break out.

In fact, things will likely become busier for the barebones staff, he explained, with the world's focus to be set on the country as war commences.

Taking a minute away from the buzzing phones, Altayi sounded frustrated by what he called the 'intractable' position of the Bush Administration.

"They were only going to get four votes from the Security Council, and France was going to veto them anyway," he said. "It seems their ultimate goal was always war."

As the marching bands proceeded, only a few could be found voicing their concern about a possible war with Iraq.

"I am worried about the consequences, that we will be stirring up a hornet's nest," said Mary Fitzgerald, a resident of Manhattan.

Fitzgerald explained she had a son who was old enough for the draft and wondered if he would be called to serve. "I'm worried about a long war especially if we go alone. We should have the world with us."