IRAQ: Iraq has accused the US of trying to derail the resumption of UN arms monitoring as a prelude to an attack on the country after Washington told the disarmament experts to put off their mission.
The Iraqi government stuck by its refusal to entertain any new conditions that the US seeks to impose through the UN Security Council. "If those evil \ think that the war drums they are beating will prompt Iraq to relinquish its . . . rights under the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, they are deluding themselves," a government spokesman said.
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tariq Aziz, warned Turkey that Baghdad would no longer see Ankara as friendly if Turkey allowed the US use its military bases to launch an attack.Incirlik base in southern Turkey is still home to US and British warplanes enforcing the northern no-fly zone over Iraq.
An Iraqi newspaper owned by the son of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein meanwhile claimed that the weapons inspectors should not need more than six months to complete their work. Al-Rafidain also warned that the inspectors were "expected to create a crisis by asking to carry out illegal activities which are not based on UN resolutions".