Blair sure of securing Iraq resolution
British and American officials were engaged in an intensive diplomatic campaign to win support from the other permanent members of the UN Security Council France, Russia and China for a toughly worded resolution on weapons inspections.
The three who could each veto any new resolution are deeply reluctant to accede to British and American demands for a UN mandate for immediate military action if Saddam Hussein fails to comply with the inspection regime.
Mr Blair yesterday(OK) sought to play down reports that a draft text being circulated by Britain and the US would give the Iraqis just seven days to accept the inspection terms and a further 30 days to declare their entire arsenal of weapons mass destruction.
"It is probably not quite as definite as it might appear from some of the papers," he told the BBC.
He indicated that Britain could be prepared to accept the French suggestion of two resolutions the first setting out the inspection terms with a second authorising military action to be passed only if the Iraqis fail to comply with the first.
"We can leave that open for the moment," he said. "There are lots of questions about do you go back to the UN at a later stage. Let's take it step by step."
He stressed that Britain was determined one way or the other to ensure that Iraq was stripped of its chemical, biological and nuclear capabilities.
"It will happen either through the UN inspections route or it will happen otherwise, but it will happen," he said.
Earlier the Foreign Office deputy under secretary for defence and international security, William Ehrman, arrived in Beijing for talks with the Chinese while the US Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman met Russian Foreign minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already expressed his opposition to any new Security Council resolution while the Chinese are also thought to be sceptical.
In Vienna, the head of the UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix, together with the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), were preparing for two days of technical talks starting today(OK) with the Iraqis on the resumption of inspections for the first time in four years.
"We're looking for Iraqi co-operation here, but these are not political talks," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.
"We are not going to be negotiating here. We're going to be laying on the table the requirements we're going to have as inspectors."
In other developments, Iraq said a US airstrike hit a radar system at its airport in the southern port city of Basra early yesterday, the second attack there in three days. A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Communications said the attack took place at 12.45am.
The official Radio Baghdad announcement did not mention casualties. It said the strike further damaged buildings at the airport 330 miles south of Baghdad.
In Tampa, Florida, US Central Command confirmed an attack but said it was aimed at a military mobile radar at Basra "in response to hostile acts".
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