Iraq has said it was seriously studying a UN request to destroy its al-Samoud 2 missiles as it test-fired a rocket engine to show UN weapons inspectors it did not violate range limits.
"We are studying the letter of [head weapons inspector\] Mr Blix about destroying the missiles in depth and in a serious and comprehensive way," Gen Husam Mohammad Amin, head of Iraq's weapons monitoring, told a news conference.
"We hope that this issue will be resolved through agreement and cooperation and without interference from the Americans and the British . . . I believe that we will be able to resolve this issue without any intervention by those with evil intentions," Gen Amin added.
UN chief weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix has ordered Iraq to start destroying its al-Samoud 2 missiles by March 1st, saying they exceed UN limits established in 1991.
Baghdad says the missile was designed to stay within the permitted 150-km range.
But Gen Amin refused to answer direct questions on whether Iraq would destroy the missiles.
"I can assert and I say that this missile only constitutes one aspect of our defence capabilities . . . Destroying these missiles will affect our defence capabilities but would not completely terminate them," he added.
The inspectors, who have been in Iraq since November searching for weapons of mass destruction, are expected to present a report on March 7st.
Yesterday's test-firing of a rocket engine in front of the UN experts happened at the Falluja site 70 kms west of Baghdad.
Gen Amin said UN weapons inspectors had now searched 635 sites and would use a French Mirage warplane in the coming days during their inspections.
Baghdad has also allowed a German drone to fly in search of prohibited weapons.
Gen Amin added that UN weapons inspectors had conducted their first interviews with Iraqi scientists without using audio recordings, and that Baghdad had submitted new names of scientists to be interviewed.
But he said Baghdad believed it "was not necessary" for scientists to be interviewed abroad as demanded by the UN which insists experts on banned weapons should be debriefed on neutral ground to avoid government intimidation.
Gen Amin said a technical team from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UMOVIC) would arrive in Baghdad on March 2nd to check sites where biological material was destroyed and buried in 1991.
UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan urged Iraq yesterday to destroy the al-Samoud 2 missiles.
"They have to destroy these weapons. . . I am confident they will destroy the weapons. If they refuse to destroy them, the [UN Security\] Council will have to take a decision on that," Mr Annan said.
French Foreign Minister Mr Dominique de Villepin said Iraq should destroy the prohibited missiles but added that France remains opposed to a second UN Security Council resolution on Iraq for now.
Mr Villepin reiterated in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper that UN weapons inspectors still needed time to do their work searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
"The inspectors confirm there is progress. That's why, in this context, we are opposed to a new resolution as the president said," he said.
A diplomatic source said earlier France was preparing to present a "memorandum" to the UN in the next few days setting out specific tasks which might serve as benchmarks for Saddam Hussein to comply with UN demands that he get rid of weapons of mass destruction.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mr Yasar Yakis said yesterday cabinet meeting today might decide to send a deal to parliament for ratification, which would allow the US to use the country as a base for any attack on Iraq . - (Reuters)