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Visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri stressed on Sunday that his country is yet to make a decision on a new UN resolution seeking a tough weapons inspection regime.
"Any decision (of Iraq) on the resolution has not been made by far," Sabri told a press conference following an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.
"During the gathering, the Arab ministers called for more Arab members to be involved in the UN weapons inspection team," he said.
He added that the ministers also reached a common understanding on an early return of the inspectors "without provocations."
Although Baghdad is widely expected to accept UN Resolution 1441eventually, the Iraqi foreign minister was reluctant to make any premature confirmation of his country's response.
The Arabic-language MBC TV reported on Saturday that Iraq has accepted the resolution after getting an assurance from Syria, a member of the 15-nation UN Security Council, that it does not foresee the automatic use of force against Iraq.
"Arab foreign ministers have extended a welcome to Iraq's acceptance of the resolution," the TV quoted visiting Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal as telling reporters during the interval of a consultative meeting of Arab foreign ministers late Saturday.
Resolution 1441 requires Iraq provide, not later than 30 days, a "currently accurate, full and complete" declaration of all aspects of its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and systems to deliver them.
"Further material breach" of Iraq's obligations would incur "serious consequences," the resolution warned.
On Sept. 16, Iraq said it will allow UN weapons inspectors to return to Iraq unconditionally.
However, the United States dismissed the Iraqi offer as "a tactic that will fail," while pushing for a new tough UN resolutionwhich will "automate" the use of force in the event of Iraqi non-compliance.
The United States has been accusing Iraq of developing weapons of mass destruction to pose a threat to its neighbors. Iraq denies the charge.
(Xinhua News Agency Novemebr 11, 2002)
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