UN: Iraq has no say in inspection policy

“I don’t think the objective is to let the President decide which palaces the inspectors and the diplomats can go,”Annan said of Saddam.

According to the disputed news report, the Iraqi leader had offered to open eight presidential sites to UN inspectors.

“He talks of eight palaces — we hear reports of as many as 60 palaces,” Annan said of Hussein. “Why those eight and not others?

“The problem is really still there,” he added. “I hope that the discussions that are going on will clarify this.”

Earlier, the UN chief proposed his “good offices” to help resolve the crisis with Iraq over UN weaponsinspections, to avert “devastating” military action.

Expressing his “sincere hope” that these efforts will succeed, Annan asked the Iraqi leadership to understand that it must comply fully with the Security Council resolutions if it wants the sanctions to be lifted.

Speaking after mooting the expansion of “oil for food” programme in the Council, he said he is ready to use his good offices if needed, but was non-committal to the United States’ unilateral right to take military action against Iraq without taking fresh mandate from the Council.

He said though statements have been made that the US does not need specific council authorisation, it is talking to council members, both at the UN and in the capitals, on this particular issue.

“I don’t think the US itself has taken the position that it doesn’t matter what the Council thinks and we are going ahead, because there are serious consultations and everybody, including Washington agree that it would be preferable to hold everyone together,” hesaid.

Regarding his talks with European leaders last week, Annan said the Turkish Foreign Minister had suggested that all neighbours — Iran, Jordan and Syria — to go together to try to plead with Iraq to back down and work with the UN to avoid any military escalation.

He, however, rejected the idea that Iraq be allowed to open a limited number of sites and said, “I think President Saddam Hussein has to allow free and unfettered access to these sites. I don’t think the objective is to let him decide which places the inspectors and diplomats can go.”

Asked whether the use of force could prove counter-productive if Iraq throws out all inspectors, he said quite a few people are concerned about it and want to maintain inspectors, even those who are recommending military action still hope that inspections can continue.

But he affirmed that the main objective is disarmament of Iraq, saying all Council members are unanimous on that.

Annan said no one in the Council is pushing for the use of force in thefirst instance. All those who are talking about it are looking at it as a last resort.

“We hope that President Saddam Hussein, for the sake of the Iraqi people, who have suffered so much, will listen to messages that are being taken to him by senior envoys from Russia, from France, from people in the region, from leaders in the region and elsewhere and really avoid taking his people through another confrontation,” he added.