UN arms chiefs see new Iraqi cooperation

The top UN arms inspectors said yesterday Iraq appeared to be making fresh efforts to cooperate over banned weapons, but warned Baghdad it must take drastic action swiftly if it wanted to avert war.

France insisted there were still alternatives to military action but US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the march towards a showdown with Iraq had quickened, adding that a pre-emptive strike might save thousands of lives in the long run.

US President George W. Bush said the United Nations must soon decide whether to back America's demand that Iraq abandon its alleged chemical, biological and nuclear programmes.

"The UN Security Council has got to make up its mind soon," he told reporters. "I'm confident that they will understand (that the November 8 resolution) must be upheld."

His spokesman said the Bush administration would devote the next two weeks to diplomacy on Iraq but did not indicate whether the period amounted to a deadline for negotiations.

"The standard the president has set is that the second resolution must enforce the first resolution," spokesman Ari Fleischer said. A Security Council resolution adopted in November ordered Iraq to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programmes and cooperate with UN arms inspectors, or face "serious consequences".

Aware of deep international disquiet over the prospect of war, Iraq bowed to a key UN demand and on Thursday let inspectors hold their first private interview with an Iraqi scientist linked to previous banned weapons programmes.

Arms inspections chief Hans Blix gave Iraq's move a cautious welcome, but warned Baghdad inspections could only work with "active cooperation from Iraq, not on process but on substance."

Inspectors had long pressed for scientists to be interviewed without other Iraqis present to protect informers from reprisal.

Blix's colleague Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, said "closure" was needed on chemical and biological missiles.

"Time is critical and we need to show quick progress and we need to show drastic change on the part of Iraq in cooperation on these areas," ElBaradei said before a visit by himself and Blix to Baghdad on Saturday. ElBaradei called for a meeting with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"We would be willing to meet with him obviously if he's ready to meet with us," he said. "That would be useful to have a discussion with him and explain to him our needs to make progress."