Iraq Allows Return of Inspectors Without Condition

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 17, 2002

Iraq Allows Return of Inspectors Without Condition

Iraq agreed Monday to allow the unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors, a reversal coming days after President Bush warned Baghdad to comply with U.N. resolutions or face military action. The White House dismissed the offer as a "tactical move".

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Iraq Agrees to Weapons Inspectors

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri announced Monday that his government is ready to accept the UN weapon inspector unconditionally.

He made the announcement at the UN headquarters in New York, onthe sideline of annual high-level debate of the 57th UN General Assembly.

In an official letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which was then transferred to Stefan Tafrov, president of the Security Council, Sabri said his government is ready to accept the inspectors unconditionally.

"I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions," the letter stated.

It said Iraq made the decision "on its desire to complete the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."

"Equally importantly," it noted, the decision was made "toward a comprehensive solution that includes the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Iraq."

Speaking to reporters at the stakeout position of the UN delegation's entrance, Annan said he has passed the letter to the Security Council and "they will have to decide what they do next."

"Of course, Mr. (Hans) Blix (Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission) and his team will be ready to continue with their work," he said.

The UN chief paid particular tribute to all Member States, "and to the Arab League, who played a key role in this."

He thanked Secretary-General Amr Moussa of the Arab League for his strenuous efforts in helping to convince Iraq to allow the return of inspectors.

Even with a more likely US strike looming, Iraq has repeatedly stated that it would accept UN arms inspectors only under a comprehensive deal that would prevent the attack and lift the 12-year-old UN sanctions imposed after its 1990 invasion against Kuwait.

Baghdad's drastic change of attitude resulted apparently from increasing pressures from the US and its allies, as well as Iraq's Arab neighbors to accept the UN inspectors who had been denied entrance sine 1998.

Speaking for all Arab governments as the current chairman of the ministerial meeting of Arab League, Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, after a recent meeting held on the sideline of the UN debate, told Iraq that it should avert an attack by complying with UN resolutions on arms inspections.

"We told Iraq to the letter: We want the inspectors to return and that with them peace and security will return and the sufferings of the Iraqi people will end," he said, while noting the message was delivered "loudly and clearly, that we are for the integrity of Iraq."

Meanwhile, the lobbying campaign launched by top US officials to grab more support from world leaders here seems successful.

"I am very pleased that the response to President Bush's speech has generated... political dynamic," US Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters here Monday at the UN headquarters in New York.

US President George W. Bush said at the opening of the UN debate that if Iraq defies a new council resolution demanding the return of inspectors, "the world must move deliberately and decisively," indicating his increasing readiness to deal with Iraq militarily.

Powell said that after quite a number of bilateral meetings with world leaders, "a great deal of pressure now being placed upon Iraq to come to compliance with the UN mandate of the last 12years."

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