The Iraqi government has repeated that it will not accept a new UN resolution setting fresh terms for arms inspections after the United States asked weapons experts to defer their mission.
"If those evil [Americans] think that the war drums they are beating will prompt Iraq to relinquish its . . . rights under the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, they are deluding themselves," said a government spokesman after a cabinet meeting.
"They are deluding themselves even more if they think that Iraq will accept the unacceptable if the Security Council, under [US] pressure, issues a new resolution," the spokesman said, quoted by state television.
That pressure had been stepped up in recent days despite Iraq's consent to readmit UN weapons inspectors after a break of nearly four years "which throws additional light on their evil designs on the wealth and sovereignty of our [Arab] nation, including Iraq," he said.
AFP