Iraqi parliament chiefs denounce UN resolution

A key Iraqi parliamentary official recommended yesterday parliament should reject a new UN resolution on disarmament and the leader of the assembly blasted the text as "a preamble for war".

The two men were speaking at the start of an emergency session of the Iraqi parliament convened by President Saddam Hussein to debate the resolution calling on Baghdad to disarm or face possible military action.

But the final decision on the resolution passed unanimously by the UN Security Council last week will lie with the Revolutionary Command Council, Iraq's highest authority which is led by Saddam.

Parliamentary speaker Saadoun Hammadi told reporters during a break in the assembly's proceedings that deputies would carry on debating the resolution today and would vote on a motion to reject the UN text and leave the final decision to Saddam.

"Parliament will listen to speeches of deputies today and the session will continue tomorrow (Tuesday) morning," Hammadi told reporters. He did not say if voting would take place today.

US President George W. Bush warned Baghdad the full might of the US military would be used if it did not comply with the resolution which gives UN arms inspectors sweeping new rights and Iraq 30 days to submit a detailed list of its weapons.

In Baghdad, Salim al-Kubaisi, head of parliament's Arab and international relations committee, told the assembly:

"The committee recommends the following: the rejection of the Security Council resolution 1441 and not to approve it in accordance with the opinion of our people who put confidence in their representatives."

He delivered his comments after Hammadi opened the session, blasting the resolution as a violation of international law and Iraq's sovereignty.

"This UN resolution looks for a pretext (for war) and not for a comprehensive solution. It seeks to create crises rather than cooperation and paves the way for aggression rather than for peace," he said. "It shows blatantly the ill intentions of the US administration."

Oil prices climbed on market fears Iraq might reject the resolution. Traders bought futures heavily when Kubaisi recommended that parliament reject the resolution.

International benchmark Brent crude oil futures stood 62 cents higher to $24.20 a barrel, while US light crude gained 58 cents to $26.38.

The United States has warned Iraq one false step would result in military action.

"I have no greater responsibility than protecting the American people. Should military action become necessary for our own security, I will commit the full force and might of the United States military, and we will prevail," Bush said at a White House ceremony, marking US Veterans' Day.

Bush said a new regime "would bring deliverance" for Iraq's citizens.

Iraq has until Friday to accept the terms of a Security Council resolution demanding Baghdad allow UN arms experts unhindered access to any site suspected of producing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or face "serious consequences".

In a front-page editorial, the ruling Baath party newspaper al-Thawra said the United States and its ally Britain had inserted "vague, vicious and misleading texts that give them room for manoeuvre to use them as pretext to attack".

Nevertheless, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said yesterday he thought Iraq would "cooperate positively" with the resolution.

The US military said American and British warplanes bombed anti-aircraft missile sites on Sunday in the "no-fly zone" enforced by Washington and London in southern Iraq - the first such action since the Friday resolution was passed.

Iraq did not report any Western attack but said its anti-aircraft systems had fired at US and British warplanes over the south of the country on Saturday.

Disarmament inspections first started after Iraqi forces were expelled from neighbouring Kuwait by a US-led coalition in the 1991 Gulf War. Inspectors withdrew in 1998 in a wrangle over access to Saddam's palaces.

The resolution gives the Council a key role before any possible attack, but does not force Washington to seek authorisation for war.

US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said Bush reserved the right to use force without Security Council approval if Iraq violated the resolution. But Washington would initially discuss with the Council the consequences of a breach.

US officials said Bush had approved plans for the invasion of Iraq if it failed to comply fully with the resolution.

The plan, based on the lessons learned during the Afghan conflict, calls for the quick capture of Iraqi territory to establish forward bases that would be used to propel 200,000 or more troops deeper into the country.

Russia, which with France and China fought for amendments to an original US draft resolution, said it hoped Iraq would comply, saying it was a chance to avoid military action.

Arab foreign ministers endorsed the resolution on Sunday but also called on Security Council members to ensure it could not be used as an automatic trigger for war.

Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix is due in Cyprus this week where his team will have a base, before heading for Iraq, a Cyprus government source said.

An advance team of about a dozen inspectors is expected to head for Baghdad around November 25 to make spot inspections. Between 80 and 100 inspectors are due to resume their work in full by December 23.