British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today that London would allow President Saddam Hussein to remain in power if Iraq fully disarmed.
"We have made it clear - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has made clear repeatedly - that if Iraq complies with (Security Council resolution) 1441 and disarms its weapons of mass destruction, we accept that the government of Iraq stays in place," Mr Straw told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.
"On the issue of regime change, the position of the British government is very straightforward," he said a day before chief UN Weapons inspectors Dr Hans Blix and Mr Mohamed ElBaradei are due to deliver their next progress report to the Security Council on Iraqi disarmament.
"Yes, of course, in a different world, we would like to see a different government running Iraq, and I think that must be the case of everybody in this room unless there is a representative of the government of Iraq press here. On that there is complete unanimity," Mr Straw said.
White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer said on Monday the Iraqi leader would not be allowed to stay in power if war was launched against Iraq, but he did not rule out allowing him to remain if he fully disarmed beforehand.
"Nobody should think, not even for a second, that military action could be possibly taken to disarm Saddam Hussein that would leave Saddam Hussein at the helm to rearm up later. No, that's not an option," Mr Fleischer said.