The US: Former US President Jimmy Carter urged the United States yesterday to respect UN rulings in deciding whether to attack Iraq, but praised Washington's actions up to now in pushing Baghdad to disarm.
Mr Carter, in Oslo to receive the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize today, also urged renewed efforts to solve "the festering problem" of Israel and its neighbours, to defuse what he called a prime cause of hatred in the world.
Mr Carter, a Democrat who was president from 1977 to 1981, said he agreed with US actions against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, such as winning UN support for inspections of suspected sites for chemical, nuclear or biological weapons.
"As far as the US government's policy is concerned, I'm completely in agreement with it," he told a news conference at the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
But he disagreed with President George W. Bush's threats to take military actions to oust President Saddam, with or without UN support, if Washington decides that Baghdad has lied about its weapons.
"If there is [Iraqi] compliance as judged by the UN Security Council then I see no reason for the armed conflict," Mr Carter said. Mr Carter (78) said Iraq seemed to be complying with UN inspectors so far, based on evidence from UN officials.
"The United Nations is the best place for nations ... to resolve the differences that always exist," he added.
But he also said conflict would be "quite likely" if Iraq did not remove or account for all its weapons.