Arab countries welcome Iraq's 'positive step'

Arab states rejoiced yesterday over Iraq's "positive" step that may spare their region from a devastating war.

Although by and large not supporters of President Saddam Hussein, Arab leaders have strong reservations about the prospect of US strikes against Iraq which they fear could result in the disintegration of the country and chaos in the Gulf region.

Giving his reaction yesterday to President Saddam's offer to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to return unconditionally, the Arab League chief, Amr Moussa of Egypt, said the UN's mission ought to "remove any doubt which there may be of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction."

Mr Moussa had earlier warned that US strikes would "open the gates of hell" in the Middle East.

Syria accused the international community of having double standards by not questioning Israel about its nuclear weapons and by failing to enforce resolutions on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Syria is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council which will be called to vote on any UN resolution authorising military strikes against Iraq.

State-run Damascus radio said in a commentary that despite the Iraqi decision, it found "the hawks in the US administration, who are connected to Zionist plots, are still promoting for an aggression against Iraq".

Jordan's Foreign Minister, Marwan Muasher, in an apparent reference to US and British scepticism about President Saddam's intentions, said the Iraqi leader's letter was "clear" and should be taken "at face value".

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, said: "This is the beginning of a process of easing the tensions."

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, lambasted the US attitude. "What right has he [Bush] to come in to say that offer is not genuine? We must condemn that very strongly," a visibly angry Mr Mandela told reporters outside his home. "That is why I criticise most ... leaders all over the world of keeping quiet when one country wants to bully the whole world."

Shimon Peres, Israel's Foreign Minister, was strongly supportive of America for maintaining its policy of regime change. "Inspectors and supervision only work with honest people. Dishonest people know how to overcome this easily," he told Israel Radio.

In Europe, the Iraqi offer was music to the ears of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder who is staking his re-election chances on an anti-war stance. "This was always our aim, to get the weapons inspectors back in, we always considered any other aim to be wrong," Mr Schröder said. "This development is very welcome."

Belgium's Foreign Minister, Louis Michel, also welcomed the Iraqi move, and urged Washington and Baghdad to seek a political solution.

Turkey, a US ally and Nato member whose bases are likely to be used in any military strikes said the Iraqi offer was "a step in the right direction".

Malaysia, a Muslim country, said the sanctions imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait should be scrapped. "For agreeing to that, I think we should already take action to lift sanctions," the Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamed, said.