Iraq promised UN weapons experts more help yesterday, saying it was even forming its own teams of inspectors to search for banned weapons.
After two days of showdown talks with chief UN arms inspectors, held as US and British leaders warned Iraq was on course for war, Baghdad's officials were eager to appear conciliatory.
President Saddam Hussein's top adviser Amir al-Saadi read a joint statement at a news conference in Baghdad with visiting inspection chiefs Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei.
It said Iraq had handed more documents to inspectors, was clarifying others and was forming its own teams to search for suspicious items. UN inspectors discovered empty chemical warheads last week which Iraq had failed to report to the UN; Iraq said it had "forgotten" about them.
The statement said Iraq would also encourage inspections of "private sites" -- an apparent reference to places like the homes of leading scientists -- and to "private interviews" -- referring to talks between UN inspectors and Iraqi technical experts without the presence of Iraqi government minders.
A cautious Blix said he was "fairly confident" Iraq would honor its pledges. "We have solved a number of practical issues, not all," he told the news conference.
"On the substantive issues relating to anthrax, VX [nerve agent] and a number of Scud missiles, we have not discussed that. That is to be discussed some time in the future," he said.
There was no mention in the statement of taking scientists outside Iraq for interviews, as Washington has demanded on the grounds that the interviewees need protection from reprisals.
The statement said Iraq would supplement a list of around 500 scientists involved in its past banned weapons programs.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of Britain, Washington's staunchest supporter on Iraq, said a November UN Security Council resolution, warning Iraq of "serious consequences" if it violates its obligations, authorized war.
"If there is evidence of a further material breach ... [it] can only mean military action," Straw said.
Washington on Sunday issued one of its clearest warnings yet to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that non-cooperation with UN inspectors could be deemed a trigger for a war in the absence of a "smoking gun."
"The test is, is Saddam Hussein cooperating?" US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Fox TV. "He's not doing that."
The UN inspectors were demanding quick answers from Iraq before they report to the Security Council next Monday.
"I think [the Iraqis] have said that there are still certain areas they are ready to provide more information. I think that in other areas they said they are ready to reconsider their position," ElBaradei said.
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