Iraq offers unconditional return of arms inspectors

Iraq offered last night to readmit UN weapons inspectors immediately, after Saddam Hussein called an emergency meeting of officers and officials. Though Iraq said its offer was unconditional, Washington and Britain remained sceptical and the White House said it was not prepared to enter into negotiations with President Saddam.

Iraq said in a letter addressed to the UN Security Council that it was prepared to begin discussions immediately on the practical arrangements to enable the return of the inspectors, who left the country in 1998.

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, said: "I have received a letter from the Iraqi authorities conveying its decision to allow the return of inspectors without conditions to continue their work.

"I'm now passing the letter to the Security Council and they will have to decide what they do next and of course Mr Hans Blix [head of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (Unmovic)] and his team will be ready to continue their work."

The offer ­ made under intense diplomatic pressure and passed to Mr Annan by the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri ­ represents an astute piece of manoeuvring by President Saddam. Observers said that at the very least it would probably buy President Saddam more time and help to stave off America's efforts to obtain a tough resolution against Iraq.

Britain was sceptical about the seriousness of the offer. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said after meeting Tony Blair:P "This apparent offer is bound to be treated with a high degree of skepticism by the international community, coming only four days after the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Tariq Aziz, had said precisely the opposite - that they would not accept the reinsertion of weapons inspectors without condition,"

The Bush administration was dismissive of the Iraqi offer, which has in effect taken the initiative ­ at least temporarily ­ away from the US. "We've made it very clear that we are not in the business of negotiating with Saddam Hussein," said Dan Bartlett, the White House communications director. "We are working with the UN Security Council to determine the most effective way to reach our goal."

He described the Iraqi offer a tactic to give "false hope to the international community that [President Saddam] means business this time. Unfortunately, his more than decade of experience shows you can put very little into his words or deeds."

But Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, welcomed Iraq's announcement. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said: "It's important that, through our joint efforts, we have managed to put aside the threat of a war scenario around Iraq and return the process to a political channel".

China also welcomed Iraq's acceptance of renewed inspections."We hope that Iraq will comprehensively implement the UN resolutions to create the necessary conditions for the orderly and peaceful resolution of the Iraq issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.

In its letter Iraq said: "The government of the republic of Iraq has 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." It called on the Security Council members to "respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq".

The offer came after President Saddam met in Baghdad with both his cabinet and the governing Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) to discuss what offer could be made over weapons of mass destruction.

At the same time, at the UN, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, met the foreign ministers of Colombia, Mexico and Syria ­ three of the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council ­ to press for a "resolution with teeth".

Mr Annan said President Bush's speech last Thursday to the UN General Assembly had helped to "galvanise" the international community in getting Iraq to comply with UN resolutions after a stalemate of four years. "A lot has happened in this building since Thursday," he said.

Under Security Council resolutions, sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until UN inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. Inspectors left in 1998 after their work was obstructed by the Iraqi authorities.

Mr Annan said he would forward Iraq's offer to all 15 members of the Security Council. It was not clear when the council would meet to discuss the offer.

The Iraqi RCC ­ the real ruling power whose decisions are rubber-stamped by parliament ­ meets with parliamentary deputies and the broad cabinet only after it has decided on action. One condition that had been discussed, sources said, was that inspectors should be allowed back only if accompanied by neutral observers.