CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush planned to rally troops at the largest U.S. Army base on Friday as the United States weighs whether to go to war against Iraq, possibly early this year.

Overseeing an intensifying military buildup in the Gulf, Bush was to visit Fort Hood in his home state of Texas as he maintains pressure on Saddam Hussein .

Bush was traveling a day after warning the Iraqi leader his "day of reckoning is coming," repeating his threat to Saddam to disarm or be ousted from the oil-rich country.

"He will be rallying the troops and expressing his gratitude for their efforts in the war on terrorism," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said of the visit to Fort Hood in central Texas.

Bush has linked his anti-terror campaign to Baghdad despite failing to produce concrete evidence of Iraqi involvement in attacks against the United States.

Nearing the end of a 10-day winter break at his Texas ranch, Bush said he still has not made a decision to attack Iraq. But signs such as his cancellation of a January trip to Africa and the troops' preparation have prompted many military analysts to predict he will order an attack.

While U.S. officials say they could fight any time, an invasion after February would be more difficult because of heat that could be especially debilitating if troops wear cumbersome suits to protect against chemical weapons.

TROOPS DEPLOY, DEADLINE LOOMS

More than 11,000 desert-trained U.S. troops are set to head for the Gulf for the possible war to force Saddam to abandon any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons programs.

Early orders for troop deployments from the United States have apparently not involved Fort Hood, the largest domestic U.S. Army base and home to about 40,000 soldiers and the 3rd Armored Corps, which contains many of the Army's tanks and fighting vehicles.

On Thursday, Bush said there was little evidence the Iraqi leader would avoid war and disarm peacefully.

"For 11 long years the world has dealt with him, and now he's got to understand his day of reckoning is coming and therefore he must disarm voluntarily," Bush told reporters. "Hopefully he realizes we're serious."

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution in November demanding Iraq give a full account of its weapons programs and cooperate with weapons inspectors, as required by resolutions stemming from the 1991 Gulf War, or face tough consequences.

A key deadline is Jan. 27 when inspectors have to report on Iraqi compliance. After the first major report -- a dossier compiled by Iraq accounting for its arms programs -- the United States declared the Gulf nation in material breach of the latest resolution.

The order to send the desert-trained troops to the Gulf was the first deployment of a full combat division to the area since the 1991 Gulf War. Their numbers are expected to double the nearly 60,000 U.S. personnel already in the region.