Chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix told European Parliament leaders today he wouldwelcome more time to work in Iraq if the United Nations SecurityCouncil offered it, EU parliament president Mr Pat Cox said.
Dr Blix made the reported comment in a closed-door videoconference from New York with leaders of the EuropeanParliament's political groups.
"I think he was anxious to establish in our minds that hehimself and UNMOVIC (the UN arms monitoring agency) have notdirectly asked for an extension, but that if one is offered bythe Security Council, they would welcome that," Mr Cox told reporters after their meeting.
"He explained to us that he has not asked for the timeextension because he does not want to create a falseexpectation," Mr Cox said.
Dr Blix reported to the 15-nation Council yesterday that Iraqhad failed to account for chemical and biological weaponsmaterials it was known in 1998 to possess and was notcooperating actively with the UN weapons inspectors.
"He is clearly strongly of the opinion that the Iraqiauthorities are being cooperative in terms of process andprocedure but not cooperative in terms of substance, and thatremains for him the critical missing ingredient of the Iraqiengagement on active cooperation," Mr Cox said.
European Union President Greece said today that Iraqand the international community should seize a "window ofopportunity" to disarm Baghdad peacefully of suspected weaponsof mass destruction and avert war.
The EU has been divided over Iraq, with Germanyand France leading warnings against any rush into militaryaction while Britain has backed the United States in preparingfor war in the next few weeks if Baghdad does not disarmvoluntarily.