Iraq denies backing off after tipoff on US strikes

BEIRUT, Nov 20: Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon today denied that Baghdad had backed down in the standoff over UN arms inspections last week ...

BEIRUT, Nov 20: Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon today denied that Baghdad had backed down in the standoff over UN arms inspections last week following a tipoff about imminent US air strikes.

"No. We had not been previously informed by any of the parties or governments," Hamdoon said in an interview with the London-based Saudi-owned newspaper Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.

"We did not need to hear from anyone to know that the military strike was imminent," Hamdoon said. The Iraqi decision to back down on Saturday in the standoff over UN arms inspections raised eyebrows because it came just minutes before US air strikes were set to begin.

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There have been reports that France or Russia may have alerted Iraq, but US Defence Secretary Willian Cohen said yesterday he saw no need for an investigation into whether a security leak tipped off Baghdad to US air strikes.

"The main reasons behind the decision of the Iraqi leadership to resume cooperation… Were the appeals made to us by many sides, especially Russianpresident Boris Yeltsin and UN chief Kofi Annan," Hamdoon said.