UNITED NATIONS (Sept. 16) - Iraq agreed Monday to allow the return of weapons inspectors to ''remove any doubts'' it still has weapons of mass destruction, Iraq's foriegn minister said.
''The government of the republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of relevant security council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction,'' Naji Sabri said in the letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Sabri gave the letter to Annan, who announced the stunning turnabout in Iraq's position on the inspectors.
The end to four years of stalemate came days after President Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly debate and said that Iraq must comply with Security Council resolutions or face military action.
In the letter, Iraq called on the Security Council members, which includes the United States, to ''respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq.''
The letter further said that Iraq was responding to an earlier appeal by Annan for Baghdad's compliance with Security Council resolutions calling for unfettered access to inspectors, and to an appeal by the Arab League and other Islamic countries.
Annan forwarded the letter to all 15 members of the U.N. Security Council and to the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix.
It was not clear when the council would meet to consider the letter.
''I can confirm to you that I have received a letter from the Iraqi authorities conveying this decision to allow the return of inspectors without conditions to continue their work,'' a pleased Annan told reporters, nearly four years after inspectors left Iraq.
''There is good news,'' Sabri said moments earlier. The Iraqi foreign minister refused to comment further and left U.N. headquarters after a day of negotiations on the text of the letter.
Sabri and Arab League chief Amr Moussa had met late with Annan to transmit the letter from the Iraqi government.
''I am now passing the letter on to the Security Council and they will have to decide what they do next, and of course Mr. Hans Blix and his team will be ready to continue their work,'' Annan said.
He wouldn't answer any questions from reporters, but his office was preparing to release the text of the letter.
Under Security Council resolutions, sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. Inspectors left the country in 1998 ahead of U.S. and British airstrikes to punish Iraq for not cooperating with inspections.
Since then, Iraq has refused to allow inspectors to return, and the stalemate had split the United States, Britain, Russian, France and China - the five powerful members of the U.N. Security Council.
Annan credited Bush late Monday for helping push Iraq toward a renewal of inspections.
''I believe the president's speech galvanized the international community,'' Annan said.
Annan said the Arab league had played a key role in bringing about the Iraqi response.
Annan thanked the league's chief, Amr Moussa of Egypt, ''for his strenuous efforts in helping to convince Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors.''
AP-NY-09-16-02 1956EDT
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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MAYBE WE AREN'T GOING TO WAR AFTER ALL
''The government of the republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of relevant security council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction,'' Naji Sabri said in the letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Sabri gave the letter to Annan, who announced the stunning turnabout in Iraq's position on the inspectors.
The end to four years of stalemate came days after President Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly debate and said that Iraq must comply with Security Council resolutions or face military action.
In the letter, Iraq called on the Security Council members, which includes the United States, to ''respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq.''
The letter further said that Iraq was responding to an earlier appeal by Annan for Baghdad's compliance with Security Council resolutions calling for unfettered access to inspectors, and to an appeal by the Arab League and other Islamic countries.
Annan forwarded the letter to all 15 members of the U.N. Security Council and to the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix.
It was not clear when the council would meet to consider the letter.
''I can confirm to you that I have received a letter from the Iraqi authorities conveying this decision to allow the return of inspectors without conditions to continue their work,'' a pleased Annan told reporters, nearly four years after inspectors left Iraq.
''There is good news,'' Sabri said moments earlier. The Iraqi foreign minister refused to comment further and left U.N. headquarters after a day of negotiations on the text of the letter.
Sabri and Arab League chief Amr Moussa had met late with Annan to transmit the letter from the Iraqi government.
''I am now passing the letter on to the Security Council and they will have to decide what they do next, and of course Mr. Hans Blix and his team will be ready to continue their work,'' Annan said.
He wouldn't answer any questions from reporters, but his office was preparing to release the text of the letter.
Under Security Council resolutions, sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. Inspectors left the country in 1998 ahead of U.S. and British airstrikes to punish Iraq for not cooperating with inspections.
Since then, Iraq has refused to allow inspectors to return, and the stalemate had split the United States, Britain, Russian, France and China - the five powerful members of the U.N. Security Council.
Annan credited Bush late Monday for helping push Iraq toward a renewal of inspections.
''I believe the president's speech galvanized the international community,'' Annan said.
Annan said the Arab league had played a key role in bringing about the Iraqi response.
Annan thanked the league's chief, Amr Moussa of Egypt, ''for his strenuous efforts in helping to convince Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors.''
AP-NY-09-16-02 1956EDT
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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MAYBE WE AREN'T GOING TO WAR AFTER ALL
