Iraq Agrees to Weapons Inspectors.
[ Saddam called me this afternoon and said he saw my thread and liked it so much he would " Give Peace A Chance ".HA!
Yes I saw your thread.Those first four posts in particular are very nice. TNX ]
Mon Sep 16, 8:20 PM ET
By DAFNA LINZER, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Iraq agreed Monday to allow the return of U.N. weapons inspectors without conditions, a spectacular turnaround coming days after President Bush ( news - web sites) warned Baghdad to comply with U.N. resolutions or face military action.
AP Photo
Reuters
Slideshow: Iraq and Saddam Hussein
U.N. Weapons Inspectors Hope to Return to Iraq
(AP Video)
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Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said Iraq agreed to unrestricted inspections in a letter he gave to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ( news - web sites), who announced the decision Monday night.
The White House called the Iraqi offer "a tactical step by Iraq in hopes of avoiding strong U.N. Security Council action."
"As such, it is a tactic that will fail," it said in a statement.
In the letter addressed to Annan, Iraq said it had "based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."
The end to four years of stalemate came days after Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly debate and said that Iraq must comply with Security Council resolutions or face a military strike.
Alluding to talk of a possible attack, Iraq called on the members of the Security Council, which includes the United States, to "respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq."
The letter further said that Iraq was responding to an earlier appeal by Annan for Baghdad's compliance with Security Council resolutions calling for unfettered access to inspectors, and to an appeal by the Arab League and other Islamic countries.
Annan forwarded the letter to all 15 members of the council and to the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix.
It was not clear when the council would meet to consider the letter, a first step before sending inspectors back. Blix has said he could have inspectors on the ground within days, but it would take his teams several months to set up on the ground before they could start monitoring Iraqi sites.
In Baghdad, there was no word of the news on state-run media, but the letter was released after high-level meetings between Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites) and top officials in his Baath party and his Cabinet, including his deputy prime minister and vice president.
"I can confirm to you that I have received a letter from the Iraqi authorities conveying this decision to allow the return of inspectors without conditions to continue their work," a pleased Annan told reporters.
"There is good news," Sabri said moments earlier. The Iraqi foreign minister refused to comment further and left U.N. headquarters after a day of negotiations on the text of the letter.
Sabri and Arab League chief Amr Moussa had met late with Annan to transmit the letter from the Iraqi government.
Under Security Council resolutions, sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. Inspectors left the country in December, 1998 ahead of U.S. and British airstrikes to punish Iraq for not cooperating with inspections.
Since then, Iraq has said it would only allow inspectors to return if the sanctions were lifted. The five powers on the Security Council — the United States, Britain, Russian, France and China — have remained divided over what the next steps should be.
But on Thursday, Bush told the U.N. General Assembly, at the opening of its annual debate, that the world body could no longer tolerate Iraq's defiance of council resolutions.
"We cannot stand by and do nothing while dangers gather. We must stand up for our security and for the permanent rights and hopes of mankind."
Annan credited Bush late Monday.
"I believe the president's speech galvanized the international community," Annan said.
The secretary-general also said the Arab League had played a key role in bringing about the Iraqi response and he thanked the league's chief, Amr Moussa of Egypt, "for his strenuous efforts in helping to convince Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors." |
