Iraqi offer dismissed as 'tactical' by US

An Iraqi offer to let weapons inspectors return unconditionally was today dismissed by the White House as a tactic to avoid becoming the target of military action.

The White House released a written statement that called the offer “a tactical step by Iraq in hopes of avoiding strong UN Security Council action”.

“As such, it is a tactic that will fail,” spokesman Scott McClellan said in the statement.

“This is not a matter of inspections. It is about disarmament of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime’s compliance with all other Security Council resolutions,” Mr McClellan said in Washington.

Washington’s reaction to the Iraqi letter presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan last night could split the Security Council and preclude stern US action against Iraq.

France, in particular, believes the focus of the international community should be on disarmament, not regime change, a point underscored yesterday by French foreign minister Dominique de Villespin during a luncheon with reporters.

UN Secretary General Secretary Kofi Annan last night received a letter from Iraqi authorities.

He said officials were ready to start “immediate discussions” on the practical arrangements for the return of the inspectors.

Downing Street, encouraged by Saudi Arabia’s apparent acceptance that military strikes authorised by the UN against Baghdad could be launched from its territory, welcomed the Iraqi move.

Mr Blair’s spokesman said: “We welcome their acceptance that this is an issue that has to be dealt with.

“What we welcome is agreement that this issue has to be dealt with and the United Nations is the next stage in dealing with it. That view is widely shared.

“But it has to be so that the UN deals with the issue, rather than avoids it.”

But a Downing Street spokeswoman said Saddam Hussein had a history of “playing games” and warned that weapons inspectors must have unrestricted access to all areas “anytime, any place, anywhere”.

“We will wait to see what’s on the table”, she added.

Inspectors left Iraq four years ago ahead of US and British air strikes to punish Iraq for not cooperating with inspections.

Since then, Iraq has refused to allow inspectors to return, and the stalemate had split the US, Britain, Russia, France and China – the five members of the Security Council who have power to veto council decisions.

Under Security Council resolutions, sanctions imposed on Iraq after its Gulf War cannot be lifted until UN inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed.

The turnaround has come days after US President George W Bush addressed the UN General Assembly debate and said that Iraq must comply with Security Council resolutions or face the consequences.

Mr Annan credited Mr Bush for “galvanising” the international community.

The Secretary General also said the Arab League had played a key role in bringing about the Iraqi response. The letter from Iraq will now be passed on to the 15-member Security Council which will decide what to do next.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Menzies Campbell cautiously welcomed the news but warned that Iraq had to be judged on what it did, not what it said.

“The inspectors must have the unconditional ability to poke into every nook and cranny,” he said.

“Saddam Hussein has conducted brinkmanship too often in the past for this development to be treated with anything other than caution.”

The change of heart in Baghdad also follows a change in British public opposition to possible military action in Iraq according to a poll published today.

There is no longer a majority opposing an attack to remove Saddam, the Guardian/ICM poll said.

In the past three weeks, as President Bush and Mr Blair battled to gather international support for possible action, public opinion changed by 10%.

An earlier survey showed opposition at 50% with only 33% in favour – a gap of 17% – but opposition has now dropped to 40% compared to 36% in favour – a gap of just four points.

But despite winning over some public opinion Mr Blair continues to face a rebellion from within his own ranks with rebel Labour MPs vowing to vote against him when Parliament is recalled to debate Iraq next week.

Father of the House and veteran critic of military action against Iraq, Tam Dalyell, promised to vote against the government on Tuesday September 24 irrespective of pledges by Mr Blair to present a dossier of evidence against Saddam.

As Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith claimed his MPs would abstain on any vote, Mr Dalyell said he would continue to criticise action against Baghdad until the international community was willing to talk about sanctions imposed on Iraq.

He warned: “I am going to vote against the government until such a time ... that I hear that a high-level delegation has been sent to Baghdad to talk to them about arms inspectors coming in ... and about sanctions.”

Glasgow MP George Galloway (Lab) also added his voice to the rebellion when he travelled to Baghdad saying: “We are gathering here from all around the world to make it clear to the people of Iraq that they have friends all over the world.

“Iraq has millions of friends who oppose the threats of aggression from the United States,” said Mr Galloway, who has been accused of being an apologist for Saddam’s regime.