Chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix said today Iraq had not co-operated sufficiently on disarmament and warned his next report to the United Nations would reflect his frustrations if it did not change tack.
"What has not worked is for the Iraqi side either to present prohibited items for destruction or present evidence that they are finished," Dr Blix told reporters after talks with British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair in London.
"We hope at this late hour . . . that they will come to a positive response. If they do not do that, then our report next Friday will not be what we would like it to be".
Dr Blix and Dr Mohamed El Baradei, who have headed more than two months of weapons inspections in Iraq, will return to Baghdad at the weekend. The pair will then deliver a fresh report to the UN Security Council on February 14th.
Mr Blair has suggested that date could be a deadline for war, saying this week that he would "make his judgments" then.