France has joined demands that Iraq begin destroying its al-Samoud 2 missiles by a March 1st deadline or face UN Security Council action.
But France, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, is still holding out for UN inspections to be given as much time as possible if Baghdad co-operates.
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"It is necessary for Iraq to act and meet its obligations, in this case the destruction of these prohibited missiles," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin told
Le Figaro
newspaper.
However, Mr de Villepin said the French government sees no need for a new United Nations resolution on Iraq as long as inspections are working.
French government spokesman Mr Jean-Francois Cope said: "France does not show any kind of particular leniency with regard to Iraq. There is no question of that".
In its first comment since chief UN arms inspector Mr Hans Blix set the March 1st deadline on Friday, Iraq said it hoped to settle the missiles issue through "cooperation and agreement."
"We are studying [Blix's letter] in depth and in a serious and comprehensive way," Iraq's weapons monitoring chief, Gen Husam Mohammad Amin, told reporters in Baghdad.
He refused to answer direct questions yesterday on whether Baghdad would destroy the missiles but said Baghdad was giving serious consideration to the UN demand.
However, the United States remained unconvinced. "We are reaching that point where serious consequences must flow," said Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Mr Powell, seeking a new US and British resolution on Iraq to be presented to the Security Council as early today, said it was clear Baghdad had breached UN demands to come clean over any weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq test-fired a rocket engine at the Falluja site, some 40 miles west of Baghdad, in an attempt to show UN inspectors the al-Samoud 2 missile could not violate a 1991 range limit set by the United Nations.
In Baghdad, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who denies having any weapons of mass destruction, remained defiant of President Bush's war threats
"The Iraqis are angered by the behavior of their enemy that has not kept within the minimum of manhood and chivalry," Saddam told a Lebanese delegation.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan threw his weight behind the order for Iraq to destroy the missiles and said the Security Council would have to take up the issue if Baghdad refused.
Washington and London, rapidly building up some 250,000 troops in the Gulf region, have mounted a diplomatic drive to win over the 10 rotating members of the Security Council to back their resolution and persuade permanent members France, Russia and China not to veto it.
China, like France and Russia, says UN inspectors should be given more time in Iraq. But analysts said it could tacitly back Washington by abstaining from voting on what it views as a distant problem not worth jeopardising Sino-US relations over.