Iraq has reportedly agreed to the unconditional return of United Nations weapons inspectors.
Britain and the United States expressed concern but Western diplomatic sources said the Iraqi move would not derail Washington's plans to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein. The UN Security Council will discuss Iraq's agreement on the weapons inspectors on late Tuesday.
The Iraqi letter arrived a day after Saudi Arabia indicated that it would support any UN decision to attack Iraq. Riyad also urged Baghdad to allow for the return of UN inspectors, Middle East Newsline reported.
"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," Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri wrote UN secretary-general Kofi Annan in a letter released on Monday. "The government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors 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."
The Bush administration said the Iraqi message to allow for the return of UN inspectors was meant to prevent an attack on Baghdad. The administration called on Iraq to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction.
"This is a tactical step by Iraq in hopes of avoiding strong UN Security Council action," a White House statement said. "As such, it is a tactic that will fail."
Diplomatic sources said Arab allies of Iraq had warned Baghdad that they were under tremendous pressure from the United States to provide logistical help for any Washington-led attack on the Saddam regime. The sources said several countries, including Egypt and several Gulf Arab states, had already signalled their agreement to help the United States if Saddam fails to admit UN weapons inspectors.
The sources said that UN inspectors would require between six to eight months to complete an inspection in Iraq. They said President George Bush would find it extremely difficult to launch a full-scale war on Baghdad in wake of his call for the return of the UN inspectors. Bush, they said, is expected to press the UN for intrusive inspections in hope that Saddam would abandon his pledge for the return of the weapons inspectors.
