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Iraq Said Moving Toward Concessions to U.N
Monday, September 16, 2002
(4:37 PM ET)
By Jonathan Wright
Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell(C) receives information from an aide at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, September 16, 2002. The U.S. resumed lobbying for a strong U.N. resolution demanding that Iraq disarm, preferably with a threat of severe consequences if Iraq does not comply.
Image Credit: Chip East -- Reuters.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is leading the U.S. campaign against Iraq at the United Nations, said Baghdad was now under intense world pressure to comply. "The political dynamic has changed and there's a great deal of pressure now being placed on Iraq to come into compliance with the U.N. mandates of the last 12 years," he said.

UNITED NATIONS -- Reuters
Arab and European leaders saw signs of Iraqi flexibility on U.N. arms inspections on Monday as Baghdad again came under pressure to avert a possible military attack led by the United States.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said there were rumors that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would agree to let the inspectors back, meeting the main demand of the United States in its campaign for compliance with U.N. resolutions.

A senior Arab official said Arab ministers had also heard the rumors and that Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri had told them to expect an announcement.

"A text is being prepared in Baghdad for announcement at any time, but we don't know the tenor of the text," said the official, who asked not to be named.

The French minister said: "During the last days and mainly the last hours, there have been lots of rumors concerning the fact the Iraqis may accept the return of inspectors."

"During the last hours, some Arab countries had the feeling something was going on and that we may be expecting a speech by Saddam Hussein in the coming hours," he added.

European Union External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said: "Some of the Arabs I've just been talking to think Saddam Hussein may say 'yes' to weapons inspections this afternoon."

In their most recent statements, Iraqi leaders have said Baghdad will accept U.N. inspectors only as part of a comprehensive settlement that includes a promise not to attack Iraq and to lift U.N. sanctions which started in 1990.

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(More: Reuters.com News Source)
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And the weak hand folds,
Dan