MEXICO: said yesterday that after a weekend of negotiations, at least 14 out of 15 members of the UN Security Council, including all five permanent powers, were now behind a revised US-drafted resolution on Iraqi disarmament.
Foreign Minister Mr Jorge Castaneda, whose country had raised some objections to the resolution, said talks among the five permanent powers and some of the rotating countries on the council, which include Mexico, yielded a resolution almost everyone would back.
"This resolution which will be presented [to the council this week] and could be approved unanimously, is a text that reflects a large number of changes introduced by France, by Russia, by Mexico, that give diplomacy a last chance," Mr Castaneda said.
There could still be further changes to the resolution, he added, and it could be approved unanimously, or by 14 votes if Syria abstains.
President George Bush lobbied the Mexican President, Mr Vicente Fox, for the second time in less than two weeks for support on the resolution.
The proposed US-British resolution warns that failure by Iraq to make a full declaration on its weapons of mass destruction and related materials and interference in the inspections could amount to "material breach" of the 1991 Gulf War ceasefire pact, a legal basis for war.
Mr Castaneda said the revised resolution would give the Security Council a key role in determining what would happen if Iraq violated conditions established by the United Nations.
"A clear relationship is established between any possible future violation by Iraq of the UN resolutions and the Security Council. The council must be the one to determine what will happen if weapons of mass destruction are found or if Iraq blocks the work of the inspectors," Mr Castaneda said.
Meanwhile, President Saddam Hussein claimed yesterday that Iraq would consider co-operating with a new UN resolution as long as it was not merely a pretext for the US to attack it.
"If a resolution is issued which respects the UN charter, international law and Iraq's sovereignty, security and independence, and does not provide a cover for America's ill intentions, we will view it in a way that makes us deal with it," official Iraqi television quoted the Iraqi president as telling visiting far-right Austrian politician, Mr Jörg Haider.
The comment appeared to mark a shift in Baghdad's stance. Its officials have repeatedly insisted in recent weeks there is no need for a new resolution governing inspections of its alleged programmes to develop nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
The US and Britain say they will make several changes this week to a revised, tougher resolution intended to give unfettered access to sites in Iraq to the inspectors, who left Iraq in 1998 complaining Iraqi authorities had consistently obstructed their work.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said the five permanent members were converging on agreement.
"We are reaching the point of closure, I think," Mr Blair told a news conference. "I don't want to prejudge the negotiations but they are proceeding satisfactorily.
"The absolutely critical issue for us is that we get an inspection regime in there that doesn't have the problems the last one had," he said.
In Iraq there are few visible signs of a military build-up, troop movements or anti-aircraft activity, but there is evidence the government is girding itself for attack.
President Saddam has ordered double food rations to be provided for the population for two months in the event of war, his trade minister announced this week.
Fuel dumps are being restocked and air-raid warning sirens tested. - (Reuters)