U.N., Iraq Strike Inspections Deal

U.N. inspectors reached agreement with Iraq on Tuesday about a new mission to reassess Saddam Hussein's alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Iraq said it expected an advance party in Baghdad in two weeks.

The Iraqis did not, however, bend to growing pressure from the United States and Britain to open Saddam Hussein's palaces and other so-called presidential sites to surprise inspections, which were banned under an agreement negotiated between Iraq and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1998. The United States and other Security Council members agreed to the deal at the time.

"The Iraqi representatives declared that Iraq accepts all the rights of inspection provided for in all the relevant Security Council resolutions," chief inspector Hans Blix told reporters. "There is a willingness to accept inspections that has not existed before."

In what was seen as a concession by Iraq, the talks resulted in "assurances from the Iraqis that we will have unconditional access to all sites," except the presidential sites, said Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the Vienna-based Atomic Energy Agency, where the talks were held.

In addition to the presidential sites, Baghdad had previously put a number of other locations off-limits to surprise visits, including the headquarters of the Republic Guard and Defense Ministry.

The United States says all sites must be open to inspections on demand and wants the United Nations to adopt a new resolution outlining that position as well as the approval of military action if Saddam does not comply.

The Iraqi chief negotiator, Gen. Amir al-Sadi, said the issue of surprise inspections of Saddam's palaces and other presidential sites was "not a subject on the agenda."

"Quite honestly I don't understand why it is so critical," al-Sadi said.

Immediately after the Vienna agreement was announced, the State Department said the United States opposed the return of U.N. inspectors to Iraq without new instructions from the Security Council.

"We feel the inspectors should not go in until there is a resolution that gives them the authority and instructions of the Security Council," spokesman Richard Boucher said.

If the arms inspectors prepared to move sooner, the United States would move to thwart the effort, a senior State Department official added.

As promised, the Iraqis handed over four CDs containing a backlog of monitoring reports for suspect sites and items, spanning June 1998 to July 2002, Blix said. Although that information was not yet analyzed, it would provide important clues about Iraqi weapons activity, he said.

Blix was asked if the results of the two-day meeting were a rebuff to the United States and its ally, Britain.

The chief inspector said he would not be so "presumptuous" as to rebuff anyone and that he would report in "all humility" to the Security Council Thursday.

Once Blix reports, the council would have to decide on the inspectors' return and probably will be faced with a vote on a tough, new U.S.-British resolution.

But Russia, China and France, the three other permanent members of the Security Council with veto power, oppose issuing threats before inspectors can test Iraq's sincerity.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Monday that France was still interested in a first resolution demanding a return to inspections, followed by a second resolution threatening military action if Iraq fails to comply.

At a regular weekly Cabinet meeting led by Saddam in Baghdad, senior Iraqi officials discussed the American efforts toward a new resolution.

"If those evil people think that the war drums that are beating can force Iraq to give up its national rights, its rights according to the U.N. charter and to the (past) Security Council resolutions, they are under an illusion," Iraqi TV quoted the unidentified spokesman as saying after the meeting.

Nearly four years ago, inspectors withdrew from Iraq on the eve of U.S.-British air strikes amid allegations that Baghdad was not cooperating with the teams.

By the end of the 1991 Gulf War, IAEA assessments indicated Saddam was six months away from building an atomic bomb. Inspectors discovered the oil-rich nation had imported thousands of pounds of uranium, some of which was already refined for weapons use, and had considered two types of nuclear delivery systems.

Over the next six years, inspectors seized the uranium, destroyed facilities and chemicals, dismantled over 40 missiles and confiscated thousands of documents.

In Washington, President Bush on Tuesday rejected a draft congressional resolution on Iraq as too soft, while his spokesman said Washington would welcome the assassination or exile of Saddam by his own people.

"The point is that if the Iraqis took matters in their own hands, no one around the world would shed a tear," White House Press Secretary Ari Flesicher said.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers were holding last-minute talks with the White House aimed at crafting a resolution authorizing a strike on Iraq that could gain broad support.

Formal debate in the Senate was scheduled to begin Wednesday, with the House expected to take it up next week. Passage of a resolution appeared certain.

Mr. Bush said he opposed a compromise resolution offered by Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana and Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware aimed at attracting more support from congressional Democrats.

The proposed resolution would limit the use of force only to making Iraq disarm, while not mentioning White House charges that Iraq suppresses its own people, supports terrorism and threatens its neighbors.

"I don't want to get a resolution that ties my hands," Mr. Bush told reporters.