NICOSIA Ñ Iraq has warned that it will not honor any United Nations
resolution that expands the authority of weapons inspectors in that Middle
East country.
Iraqi officials said the regime in Baghdad would reject a U.S. Security
Council draft resolution that expands the authority of the weapons
inspectors and gives the regime of President Saddam Hussein seven days to
accept the unconditional return of the inspectors.
The U.S. draft, expected to be released on Monday, is also said to
stipulate unlimited UN access to Iraqi facilities. This would include
civilian installations and Saddam's numerous palaces.
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Baghdad continues to agree
to the return of the inspectors. But he said Iraq rejected to any conditions
that would harm his country.
"Our position on the inspectors has been decided and any additional
procedure is meant to hurt Iraq and is unacceptable," Ramadan said.
The U.S. draft also calls on Saddam to present the Security Council with
a list of banned materials in Iraq's possession. Failure to comply would
open the way for military action.
China, France and Russia are said to oppose the U.S. draft. They don't
want any resolution to contain the prospect of force against the Saddam
regime.
In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the United
States favors the return of UN inspectors. But he added that inspections
must be part of a comprehensive solution.
"The issue isn't inspections; the issue is disarmament," Rumsfeld said.
Iraq is said to have increased efforts to obtain weapons of mass
destruction. On Saturday, Turkish authorities announced that they seized
15.7 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium in the southeastern province of
Sanliurfa. Turkish sources said they believe the uranium was headed for Iraq
via Syria.
