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.