Iraq's parliament unanimously recommended rejection of a UN resolution on arms inspections yesterday, hours after President Saddam Hussein's son urged its acceptance if Arabs were included on the inspection teams. Lawmakers, however, said the final decision rests with Saddam.
The UN has asked Iraq to respond by Friday. Yesterday's vote by representatives who must pledge loyalty to Saddam to earn a place in parliament could be seen as strengthening Saddam's hand if he wants to push for a change in the UN resolution along the lines proposed by his son and earlier by Arab foreign ministers. The US, though, has said it will have no patience with any Iraqi attempts to manipulate UN demands.
Parliament speaker Saadoun Hammadi described the vote as "a message to the United States that the people of Iraq are united behind their leadership and it also shows that the people of Iraq know that in the UN resolution ... there are major allegations which are baseless."
"This decision by the Iraqi National Assembly is the right and patriotic stance which expresses the Iraqi people's opinion," he told reporters.
According to a resolution read during the session, the 250-member parliament accepted an earlier recommendation from its foreign relations committee to reject the UN resolution.
It went on to say the "political leadership" should "adopt what it considers appropriate to defend the Iraqi people and Iraq's independence and dignity and authorizes President Saddam Hussein to adopt what he sees as appropriate, expressing our full support for his wise leadership."
Hammadi asked deputies to vote on the first clause of the resolution by a show of hands and announced it had been accepted unanimously. It was not clear how many members were present.
Hammadi then called for a vote on the second clause referring the matter to Saddam, and again announced unanimous approval. A third vote was held for the entire proposal, and it also was approved unanimously.
If Iraq rejects the resolution the UN Security Council approved unanimously last Friday, or accepts it but falters afterward in following the tough provisions of the resolution, the US and Britain have made it clear they will attack Iraq.
In the clearest such statement yet from France, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said on France-Inter radio yesterday that force would be used against Saddam if he does not cooperate with UN weapons inspectors. France had opposed making the recourse to force automatic.
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