Token parliament urges rejection of tough UN resolution as Saddam prepares his response

As Saddam Hussein began the theatricals of having his government rubber-stamp a decision to accept the UN demands over weapons inspections, a leading member of the Iraqi parliament last night urged rejection of a resolution that was full of "lies, falsehood and dishonesty".

Salim al-Koubaisi, head of parliament's foreign relations committee, recommended that members reject the UN resolution passed last Friday.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council, calls for President Saddam to co-operate fully with UN weapons inspectors or face war.

But Mr Koubaisi said: "The committee advises ... the rejection of Security Council Resolution 1441 and to not agree to it in response to the opinions of our people, who put their trust on us."

President Saddam called the emergency meeting of the parliament on Sunday and ordered it to issue a formal response to the resolution, which demands full and unfettered access for the weapons inspectors who are preparing to return to Iraq next week. The Iraqi leadership has until Friday to make known its final decision, in the knowledge that rejection of the resolution would mean war.

There was no indication last night that a vote would be held today, when parliament resumes debate on the resolution. In the past, the Iraqi leader has used the parliament to provide cover for difficult decisions. Such backing would allow President Saddam to claim the decision as the "will of the Iraqi people" as he brings down the wrath of the international community.

More tellingly, the comments in the parliament are an indication of the mood of many in Iraq who feel the UN demands are humiliating.

The resolution gives inspectors the right to enter President Saddam's palace compounds, which have previously been out of bounds, and to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country without Iraqi officials present. Spot inspections are expected to resume – for the first time after a four-year suspension – by about 25 November.

Iraqi diplomats have said the resolution, drafted by the US with British support, gives them little option but to accept the inspectors' return. The resolution threatens Iraq with "serious consequences".

The mood was summed up by the Speaker of the parliament, Saadoun Hamadi, who said the resolution was stacked with "ill intentions", "falsehood", "lies" and "dishonesty". Opening the televised hearing, at which there was loud applause every time President Saddam was mentioned, he said the resolution did "not have the minimum of fairness, objectivity and balance".

He added: "The ill intentions in this resolution are flagrant and loud in ignoring all the work that has been achieved in past years. This UN resolution looks for a pretext [for war] and not for a comprehensive solution. It seeks to create crises rather than co-operation and paves the way for aggression rather than for peace. It shows blatantly the ill intentions of the US administration."

Iraq's state-run al-Jumhuriya newspaper urged Arab governments and people to "stand firm against US aggressive schemes" against Iraq and the Arabs. In a front-page editorial, the newspaper called on Arab governments to use oil as a weapon against the United States and Britain.

After the parliamentary vote, the assembly's response goes to the Revolutionary Command Council, the country's supreme authority. Mr Koubaisi recommended the parliament refer the final decision to the council "to take the appropriate decision to defend the people of Iraq, their independence and dignity".

But that body is headed by President Saddam and is, in essence, another forum for rubber-stamping decisions he has already taken. There is nothing to suggest this time will be anything different.

As such, the decision on whether Iraq will accept the resolution has almost certainly already been made.

In Cairo, foreign ministers of the Arab League nations ended a two-day meeting with a final communiqué that sought to avoid military action.

But the secretary general, Amr Moussa, said: "In our deliberations, the consensus was to deal with the Security Council resolution, accepting its direction, and this is left for the government of Iraq to decide."

The ministers put forward a united position of "absolute rejection" of any military action against Iraq, warning it represented a threat to the security of all Arab nations. They also demanded Arab experts be included on the weapons inspection teams and called on the Security Council to require Israel to rid itself of its own weapons of mass destruction.

Russia, which with France and China tried to water down the first draft resolution, said it hoped Iraq would comply.