The White House today brushed off a request by Iraq for independent observers toaccompany any U.N. weapons inspectors. A White House spokesman said Baghdad was seeking to set conditions on a matter in which it should haveno say.
Earlier,Iraq said independent news media and othersshould accompany any U.N. arms inspectors, saying Washingtonwould otherwise use the inspections as a pretext for war.
U.S. President George W. Bush is pressing hard for a U.N.Security Council resolution to end seven weeks of wrangling andforce Iraq to surrender any weapons of mass destruction. He hasthreatened Baghdad with military action if it fails to comply.
"On the Iraqi call for observers for the inspectors, onceagain Iraq is attaching conditions to something in which theyshould have no say," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer toldreporters.
"No matter how meritorious the group of journalists thatIraq might have in mind, the point is Iraq, having saidunconditional ... inspectors are welcome, is now once againattaching conditions," the spokesman said.
The Washington Post yesterday said Fox News formallyrequested permission from the United Nations to send reportersand camera crews along if U.N. weapons inspectors return toIraq.
There was no immediate reaction to the request by theUnited Nations.