US President George W. Bush said yesterday that Saddam Hussein is "not going to fool anybody" with his promise to admit weapons inspectors and predicted the UN would rally behind his Iraq policy despite signs of unease.
In an Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders, Bush thanked Democrats and Republicans alike for their commitment to vote on a congressional resolution on Iraq before the November elections.
"I think it's an important signal for the world to see that this country is united in its resolve," the president said.
As some US allies, particularly France and Russia, said the promise of inspections might replace the need for a new UN resolution sought by Bush, the president said, "All they've got to do is look at his record. His latest ploy, his latest attempt not to be held accountable for defying the United Nations. He's not going to fool anybody."
"I'm convinced that when we continue to make the case about his defiance, his deception, the fact that time and time again -- dozens of times -- he has told the world, `Oh, I will comply' and he never does, that nations who care about peace and care about the validity of the United Nations, will join us," Bush said.
It was the second straight day that Bush has prodded the UN to move against Saddam, reflecting concerns of senior advisers that Iraq has gained the upper hand in the public relations battle.
"Reasonable people understand this man is unreasonable," Bush said.
A day after Iraq's surprise decision to allow the inspectors back in after nearly four years, the near-global support for the Security Council to get tough on Iraq shattered Tuesday with Russia and Arab nations now opposing the US demand for action.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov clashed at a news conference over the need for a new Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for the return of inspectors and threaten consequences if Iraq doesn't cooperate.
The exchange between the two veto-wielding council members set the stage for difficult negotiations if the US introduces a tough anti-Iraq resolution, as expected.
"We have seen this game before," Powell said of the Iraqi offer of inspections. He called for a new resolution to keep the pressure on Iraq "to make sure that we satisfy the need for disarmament."
But Ivanov, whose country is Iraq's closest ally on the Security Council, said there was no need for a new resolution.
"Russia believes that the main job now is to see to it that the inspectors -- without any artificial delays or obstacles -- should go to Iraq and get down to discharging their functions," he said.
In Washington yesterday, Democratic leaders sounded a note of bipartisanship as they emerged from their meeting with Bush.
House Speaker Dick Gephardt said that a stern resolution was needed to give Bush the authority to deal with Saddam diplomatically and "military, if we must."
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle, also a Democrat, said, "I think this is an important moment for our country and for the international community to work together."
The UN body that would travel to Iraq is the United Nations Monitoring, Inspection and Verification Commission, led by Hans Blix, a veteran arms expert. Blix met Tuesday evening with Iraqi officials, who said the two sides agreed to meet again in Vienna in 10 days to finish arrangements for the inspectors' return.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the inspection team "is ready to move as quickly as is practicable" to begin work in Iraq. He also said the Security Council is at the beginning of the process, not the end.
As US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld prepared to testify yesterday on Iraq before a House panel, the Pentagon said it was seeking to move some B-2 bombers closer to Baghdad. Officials said Tuesday the administration is seeking permission from Britain to base a small number of B-2 stealth bombers on the island of Diego Garcia in the northern Indian Ocean, instead of their current base in Missouri.
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