Bush called his Cabinet to the White House for a mid-afternoon war update, a day after he told a global audience that war in Iraq "could be long and more difficult than some expected."

Thirty police cars guarded the front entrances to the White House, where security was unusually intense hours after the first salvo in the war to disarm Iraq. There was no word from Bush or his spokesman on whether the mission was a success.

"The president is not going to be a play-by-play commentator on it," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said. "The president has a long approach to this."

A senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said military intelligence was picking up signs and "circumstantial evidence" that Saddam and his senior leadership were either incapacitated or out of communication with battlefield commanders, but it was too early to say if they were killed or wounded.

The officials said U.S. military leaders saw significance in Iraq's failure to wage a coordinated response to the first strikes.

Amid the questions, the White House held out the still-available option for Saddam to choose exile.

"We continue to hope Saddam Hussein will leave Iraq," Fleischer said. "If Iraqi leaders turn themselves in, that would be very welcome."

Bush, meanwhile, worked the phones to place "a large number" of calls to world leaders, Fleischer said without specifying the recipients or the content of the conversations. Official news agency reports from Arab nations said Bush had called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; the emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani; and the king of Bahrain, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to discuss the military operation in Iraq.

Mubarak stressed to Bush the importance of ending the hostilities as soon as possible and respecting Iraq's current territorial boundaries, the semi-official Middle East News Agency said.

Separately, U.S. officials said there are some indications that several oil wells in southern Iraq had been set on fire. Officials said the wells numbered less than five. "Saddam Hussein is trying to destroy the wealth of his own people," Fleischer said.

Outside the White House, some 50 anti-war protesters gathered in the chilly rain. "No blood for oil!" they chanted.

Fleischer said Bush signed an execution order before Wednesday night's strikes and gave military leaders a verbal go-ahead after lengthy meetings. The attack was greeted with criticism and regret across the globe, but Fleischer shrugged off the mostly negative world reaction.

"The president understands and respect the thoughts of those who disagree but the United States and the coalition of willing will not be deterred from the mission to disarm Saddam Hussein," he told reporters.

Fleischer announced that the Cabinet would meet with Bush on Thursday afternoon to get an update from the president, who would urge the advisers to press forward with his domestic agenda.

On Wednesday night, Bush said the hostilities began with a narrow focus on "selected targets of military importance" and will grow to a "broad and concerted campaign."

After a brief night of sleep, the president talked to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at 6 a.m. EST Thursday to learn of overnight events, said a senior administration official. Bush began work in the Oval Office at 6:50 a.m.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials were trying to determine whether it was indeed Saddam who appeared on state-run television Thursday, mocking Bush and calling the attack a "shameful crime."

It was also uncertain whether the broadcast was taped after the U.S. strikes or in advance of them, since nothing on the tape specifically referred to the attack.

It appears to be Saddam, and not a double, officials said after an initial review of the tape. A voice analysis was underway at U.S. intelligence agencies.

President Bush met with his war council early Thursday, including CIA Director George Tenet, who was expected to brief the president on results on the strike against Iraqi leaders.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tenet had told Bush that U.S. intelligence had a probable fix on the residence where Saddam and other Iraqi leaders would be sleeping in the early morning hours in Baghdad, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Bush then authorized the strike.

Those other Iraqi leaders were believed to include Saddam's two sons, Qusai and Odai. Officials said it was unclear Thursday whether any of the three were near the target, or had been killed. Both sons hold high-level security positions in Saddam's regime.

U.S. officials provided no details of how the intelligence was developed that made them believe they knew where Saddam was.