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Iraq Rejects U.S. Call for Return of Inspectors

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq rejected Tuesday a call by President Bush to let U.N. weapons inspectors back into the country to determine whether it is building weapons of mass destruction. "Anyone who thinks Iraq can accept an arrogant and unilateral will of this party or that, is mistaken," an Iraqi government spokesman said.

"Iraq is able to defend its self and rights and will not bow to threats but only to justice, and right," the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency.

Bush Monday demanded Iraq allow international arms inspections to resume, saying Washington's war on terrorism also targeted those who made weapons of mass destruction "to terrorize the world."

The spokesman said that before asking Iraq to allow weapons inspectors to return, the U.N. should lift the 11-year-old sanctions on Iraq and the West should abolish the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.

U.N. weapons inspectors left Iraq in December 1998 when the United States and Britain launched four-day extensive air and missile bombings against Iraq for failing to cooperate with them.

Iraq says it has no more weapons of mass destruction and it is time for the U.N. Security Council to lift sanctions imposed for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

But sanctions will not be lifted until the U.N. monitors verify to the U.N. Security Council that Iraq is free from prohibited weapons.

Washington says Baghdad has strengthened its weapons arsenal since barring the inspectors.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Answers

Ooooh, now there is a surprise!

NOT!

As Colin Powell and whatshisname, Ashcroft?, are likely to say:

"Next!"

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001