Iraqi MPs condemn resolution

IRAQ’S parliament last night condemned a tough new UN resolution as full of lies and ill intentions during a special session in which a senior MP urged it to be rejected — a prospect that certainly would bring on war.

President Saddam Hussein, however, has used parliament to provide some cover for difficult decisions in the past, and harsh rhetoric does not necessarily mean parliament will reject the proposal.

Saddam ordered parliament to recommend a formal Iraqi response, but it wasn't clear if a vote would come last night. Iraq has until Friday to accept or reject the resolution, approved unanimously last week by the UN Security Council.

Salim al-Koubaisi, head of parliament's foreign relations committee advised following the "wise Iraqi leadership," but recommended it reject the resolution.

"The committee advises the rejection of Security Council Resolution 1441 and to not agree to it in response to the opinions of our people, who put their trust on us," he said.

Parliament's response to the UN resolution, which demands Iraq co-operate with UN inspectors hunting for weapons of mass destruction or face "serious consequences", will be a recommendation to the Revolutionary Command Council, Iraq's major executive body headed by Saddam.

Should parliament recommend acceptance, as expected, it would allow Saddam to claim the decision as the will of the Iraqi people and more smoothly retreat from previous objections to any new resolution governing weapons inspections.

The open session of a parliament stacked with Saddam's allies was being aired live on Iraqi satellite television. MPs applauded every time Saddam's name was mentioned.

On convening the session, parliament speaker Saadoun Hamadi denounced the resolution as one stacked with "ill intentions", "falsehood", "lies" and "dishonesty". He told the parliament it "does not have the minimum of fairness, objectivity and balance" and violates international law.

"The ill intentions in this resolution are flagrant and loud in ignoring all the work that has been achieved in past years," Hamadi said.

The UN resolution gives inspectors unrestricted access to any suspected weapons site and the right to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country and without Iraqi officials present issues that could become points of dispute.

Iraq has insisted on respect for its sovereignty, an argument it has used in the past to restrict access to Saddam's palaces.

If Saddam fails to follow through, UN officials have said a Pentagon plan calls for more than 200,000 troops to invade Iraq.

Iraq's state-run al-Jumhuriya newspaper yesterday urged Arab governments and people to "stand firm against US aggressive schemes" against Iraq and the Arabs. In a front-page editorial, the newspaper called on Arab governments to use oil as a weapon against the US and Britain.

Saddam has called on Arab oil exporters to boycott the West before, but Gulf oil producers say such a move would be impractical and not in their interest.

In Cairo, foreign ministers of Arab League nations ended a two-day meeting with a final communique that seeks to avoid US-Iraq confrontation.

It urges Iraq and the UN to work together to implement the resolution and calls on the US to commit to pledges that the resolution could not be used to justify military action.