Iraq on Tuesday rejected a demand by US President George W. Bush to allow the United Nations arms inspectors back in Iraq after an absence of three years.
"Anyone who thinks Iraq can accept an arrogant and unilateral will is wrong," an Iraqi government spokesman said in a statement carried by the official INA news agency (INA).
"Iraq is able to defend itself and will not bow to any threats," the spokesman said.
The return of the UN arms inspectors hinges on a total lifting of the UN sanctions on Iraq and the abolishment of two no-fly zones in the country, the spokesman added.
Iraq has been under the UN sanctions since its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait. Following the 1991 Gulf War, in which the US-led multinational coalition army evicted Iraqi troops out of Kuwait, the Western allies set up the two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq to keep Iraqi President Saddam Hussein at bay.
Iraq has been rejecting the international arms inspection since it was attacked by the US and Britain in December 1998.
President Bush on Monday demanded that Saddam allow arms inspectors back "to show us that he is not developing weapons of mass destruction."
When asked about the consequences if Iraq rejects, Bush said "he will find out."
The US strongly suspects that Saddam has taken advantage of the absence of arms inspectors to strengthen Iraq's arsenal and develop weapons of mass destruction.
There have been widespread speculations that the US might launch military strikes against Iraq, designated by Washington as one of state sponsors of terrorism.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the US could turn attention to Iraq after its military campaign in Afghanistan is over.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2001)
