Iraq ready to accept resolution

IRAQI President Saddam Hussein yesterday called an emergency session of parliament to consider the UN resolution to disarm, while Arab ministers indicated he was ready to accept the document.

Saddam’s order was reported by al-Shabab TV, owned by his son Odai, but the report did not say when parliament would convene.

The resolution, unanimously passed by the Security Council last Friday, gives Saddam seven days to accept the return of weapons inspectors.

US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said the parliamentary session would mean little since Saddam has no government opposition whatsoever, and the decision on the resolution was his alone.

“It’s ludicrous. Saddam Hussein is an absolute dictator and tyrant,” Ms Rice said yesterday. “They’ve never debated anything else. “I’m surprised he’s even bothering to go through this ploy.”

Shortly before an Arab League meeting in Cairo yesterday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said only that the Arab position is firm in rejecting any use of US military force.

A day earlier Mr Sabri said “no decision has been taken,” but several other Arab diplomats at a late-night Saturday meeting of the Arab League said Iraq had already accepted the resolution.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher: “I think we can expect a positive position by the Iraqis.” Syria’s foreign minister assured Arab governments the Security Council document does not authorise the use of American military force.

“They (Arab ministers) welcomed Iraq’s approval of this resolution with the confirmation that Syria received that there would be no automatic military action,” Saud said.

Syria, surprise agreement to the UN Security Council resolution allowed for 15-0 passage, defended its vote.

“We have struggled and shouldered a lot of difficulties to bring about the resolution,” Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa told journalists. Mr Al-Sharaa said he received a letter from US Secretary of State Colin Powell “in which he stressed that there is nothing in the resolution to allow it to be used as a pretext to launch a war on Iraq and that if the US administration had any intention of resorting to military action, this resolution wouldn’t have taken seven weeks.”