US rebuffs Iraqi offer to tour weapons sites

THE White House last night quickly shot down an Iraqi offer to let members of Congress tour suspected biological, chemical and nuclear weapons sites.

Iraq’s parliament speaker, Sadoun Hammadi, invited congressmen on a three-week visit, accompanied by arms experts of their choice, to sites in Iraq where they suspect weapons of mass destruction are hidden.

Bush administration officials said visits by members of Congress would not satisfy the president’s demand for rigorous inspections in Iraq.

“Our position on inspections and disarmament is well-known,” said Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

The invitation followed last week’s offer for chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to visit Iraq for technical talks that could lead to a resumption of inspections.

The invitations come at a time when speculation that a US war against Iraq is imminent has been strong, with President Bush saying the overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a US policy goal.

The invited congressional delegation could bring “whatever data your government chooses to supply them with in substantiation of its misguided claim that Iraq has produced chemical and biological weapons and is in the process of constructing nuclear weapons,” Hammadi wrote.

Hammadi said his letter was prompted by recent US lawmakers’ remarks that they expect to be consulted ahead of any decision to wage war on Iraq.

After the delegation has “had the chance to see and search in Iraq ... the decision will subsequently still be yours,” he wrote.

The four-page letter addressed to speakers of the US House and Senate and members of Congress was delivered to Polish diplomats who run the US interests section in Baghdad, according to the official Iraqi News Agency. Iraqi officials distributed an English copy of it to journalists in Baghdad.

The United Nations hasn’t formally responded to the Iraqi invitation for Blix to meet with Baghdad government officials.

The US accuses Iraq of trying to rebuild banned chemical, nuclear and biological weapons programs and of supporting terrorism.

About 10,000 Iraqis rallied yesterday outside the ruling Baath Party headquarters in a demonstration against the threat of US military action, burning effigies of Bush and American flags. Participants carried banners pledging their support for Saddam.