Iraq ready to discuss inspectors

IRAQ said again yesterday it was ready to discuss the return of UN weapons inspectors, but only in a broader context of ending sanctions and restoring Iraqi sovereignty over all its territory.

The offer repeating a stance that UN chief Kofi Annan has rejected in the past came at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg that has seen several world leaders sharply criticise US threats to attack Iraq.

But Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced support for Washington, saying Saddam Hussein poses a threat to the world and that Britain and other nations must help the United States deal with him.

"This is not just an issue for the US. It is an issue for Britain and the wider world. America should not have to face this issue alone," Mr Blair said in his Durham constituency.

Other European allies have expressed reservations about any US attack to oust Saddam. Russia said it would veto any measure for military action against Baghdad that comes up before the UN Security Council.

"We hope this question will not be placed to the Security Council, thereby necessitating the veto of Russia," said Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, after meeting his Iraqi counterpat Naji Sabri in Moscow.

But Ivanov also pressed Baghdad to allow the return of UN weapons inspectors, which he said was a "necessary condition" for lifting sanctions.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell was en route to the summit yesterday, where he was expected to face criticism from world leaders over threats by the administration to attack Iraq.

President George Bush has said he aims to overthrow Saddam but that it has not yet decided what action to take.

Annan yesterday met Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, urging him to comply with Security Council resolutions, which call for the unconditional return of inspectors.