Iraq’s acceptance sets scene for showdown
Instead it has seen the two sides moving into position for a showdown.
Mr Bush, signalling unabated impatience with Saddam Hussein, said he will not tolerate deception, denial or deceit as Iraq faces deadlines imposed by the Security Council.
"The world expects Saddam Hussein to disarm for the sake of peace," Mr Bush said.
And he warned that if Iraq "chooses not to disarm, we will have a coalition of the willing with us" to do the job.
Iraq predicted more trouble ahead with the US as it prepares to receive the first group of weapons inspectors in four years.
Babil newspaper, owned by President Saddam Hussein's son, Odai, called on Iraq's traditional Security Council allies Russia, France and China to remain vigilant of America's true intentions.
Babil urged the three countries all of whom voted in support of the resolution after weeks of negotiations to differentiate between Iraq, "which adopts a policy of peace, and a country that adopts a cowboy policy".
On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis expressed concern that the Americans were bent on a military showdown with Hussein's government, regardless of whether their government co-operated with the UN inspectors.
Iraq insists it no longer possesses any weapons of mass destruction, despite Washington's insistence that it does.
In the editorial yesterday, Babil said that Iraq's acceptance of the "unjust resolution" shows its "good intentions and reaffirms that the country is clear of weapons of mass destruction".
UN inspectors left Iraq ahead of Anglo-US air strikes on Baghdad in December 1998, and Baghdad barred their return. The Bush administration maintains that Iraq has used the four-year absence to rebuild its banned weapons programmes.
Iraq has accused inspectors of acting as spies and clashed with the UN on providing them access to sensitive sites such as the vast presidential palaces.
Mr Bush, meanwhile, renewed his warning that if Iraq "chooses not to disarm, we will have a coalition of the willing with us" to do the job.
The international weapons inspectors are to resume their search for illegal caches by December 23 and are to report to the Security Council 60 days after they start looking.
At any point, failure by Iraq to comply with its obligations, and any false statements or omissions in the list, are to be reported by the inspectors to the Security Council.
Bush administration officials suggested that Iraq may already be flouting the spirit of the resolution, first by declaring it has no weapons of mass destruction.
If Hussein continues to make that claim after the December 8 deadline to declare his weapons programme, he would be inviting war, US officials said.
