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   Iraq Accuses U.N. Arms Chief of Thwarting Talks
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   Jul 9, 11:17 am ET

   By Hassan Hafidh

   BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq on Tuesday accused the United Nations' chief
   weapons inspector of bowing to U.S. pressure and scuppering talks on
   the return of arms experts to Baghdad.

   "It was very clear that America pushed the head of the inspection
   team, Mr. Hans Blix, to obstruct discussions and hinder a joint
   agreement," Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told reporters after returning
   from the talks in Vienna last week.

   Blix, executive chairman of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and
   Inspections Commission (UNMOVIC), attended the two-day talks along
   with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

   The sides failed to reach agreement on the return of arms inspectors,
   who left Iraq in December 1998 on the eve of a U.S.-British bombing
   campaign over Baghdad's refusal to cooperate fully with them.

   Checking on Iraq's alleged efforts to build weapons of mass
   destruction is key to suspending U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq
   invaded Kuwait in 1990, sparking the Gulf War.

   Iraq wants the 12-year-old trade sanctions lifted before it allows the
   inspectors to return.

   Sabri said Blix had refused to hold "meaningful discussions" on what
   had and had not been achieved during years of U.N. inspections in Iraq
   from May 1991.

   "Without agreeing on what has not been achieved, we cannot go
   forward," he said.

   "We were moving toward achieving a joint understanding and a common
   ground which would have led us to a comprehensive solution," he added,
   saying the whole effort was impeded by Blix.

   Sabri also accused Washington of preventing the Security Council from
   answering questions he delivered to Annan during talks last May. The
   queries covered issues ranging from U.S. threats to impose a "regime
   change" on Baghdad to a timetable for the lifting of U.N. sanctions.

   "The United States of America prevented the United Nations from
   answering our questions."

   But he said Annan had promised him to raise these questions with the
   Security Council again.

   President Bush said on Monday that Washington would use all tools at
   its disposal to oust President Saddam Hussein. Iraqi Deputy Prime
   Minister Tareq Aziz rejected Bush's comments, saying the United States
   could not remove Saddam from power and his country was ready to defend
   itself against "American aggression."

   Bush has branded Iraq part of an "axis of evil" along with Iran and
   North Korea.

   Articles From Reuters