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Iraq, facing a Friday deadline, has accepted a tough new UN resolution that will return weapons inspectors to the country after nearly four years, Iraq's UN ambassador said.
"The letter says that Iraq will deal with Security Council resolution 1441 despite its bad contents," Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri said Wednesday. "We are prepared to receive the inspectors within the assigned timetable. We are eager to see them perform their duties in accordance with international law as soon as possible."
Iraq's acceptance clears the way for the arrival of an advance team of UN inspectors on Monday.
The team will be led by UN chief inspector Hans Blix, who is in charge of biological and chemical inspections, and Mohamed ElBaradei, head if the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is in charge of nuclear inspections.
Al-Douri said Iraq hopes its acceptance of the resolution will avoid the threat of war. "We are always opting for the path of peace," he said.
The resolution demands that Iraq cooperate fully with inspectors, who can go anywhere at any time to search for weapons of mass destruction.
It warns that Iraq faces "serious consequences" if it doesn't comply - and the United States has made clear that an Iraqi failure to cooperate will almost certainly mean a new war.
(China Daily November 14, 2002)
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