Impatience with Saddam's defiance spreads worldwide

KIEV, Ukraine -- Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday that Moscow, which has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the Iraq crisis, "may change its position" if Baghdad hampers U.N. weapons inspectors.

France and Germany, strong opponents of the war option, also issued calls for Iraq to cooperate, but Baghdad remained defiant.

The comments -- particularly from Russia, Iraq's most powerful ally -- were signs of growing international impatience with Saddam Hussein a day after chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix delivered his toughest assessment yet of Baghdad's level of compliance.

And in the Arab world, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told the Al-Ittihad newspaper of the United Arab Emirates that war will come "unless Iraq abides by the resolutions of international legitimacy and ceases to put obstacles in front of the international inspection operations."

During a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Putin said diplomatic measures to resolve the crisis had not been exhausted. However, he suggested that if Baghdad creates difficulties, Russia could move closer to Washington's position.

"If Iraq resists these inspections, if it creates problems for the inspectors, I do not rule out that Russia may change its position," Putin said.

"And we intend to work with other Security Council members, including the United States, to work out other decisions -- I won't say what kind, but tougher than the existing decisions."

Longtime ally speaks out

The comments were in stark contrast to repeated Russian statements emphasizing Moscow's opposition to the use of force.

Russia has pursued relations with Iraq over the past decade even as the country was a pariah to much of the world, and has repeatedly called for the lifting of economic sanctions stemming from the 1991 Gulf War.

Putin's statement "confirmed the fact that Russia isn't defending Saddam, Russia doesn't give Iraq carte blanche for any activity, including illegal activity," said Alexander Pikayev, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center.

Among the five veto-holding countries in the U.N. Security Council, Russia, France and China had indicated they would not support a U.S.-led war against Iraq at this time. The United States and Britain believe Saddam is rearming and that time is running out for Iraq to cooperate with inspections.

The British foreign minister told a news conference that Iraq "does not have long to change its behavior fundamentally."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard took a similar stance, saying Iraq should be given "some time, but not a lot" to disarm.

In Baghdad, however, a senior Iraqi, Lt. Gen. Amir Rashid, complained Tuesday that arms inspectors exaggerated problems in their reports to the Security Council.

He said Baghdad would work on the problems, including scientists' rejection of private U.N. interviews.

Despite the critical U.N. report, the Bush administration still faces obstacles as it pushes ahead with war preparations that point to more than 150,000 troops and four aircraft carrier battle groups in the Persian Gulf region by the end of February.

Key developments concerning Iraq

Developments in the Iraq crisis:

President Bush, in the text of his State of Union address, said Saddam Hussein has shown "utter contempt" for the world community and must be held to account. "The dictator of Iraq is not disarming. To the contrary, he is deceiving," the president said.

A senior Iraqi official said U.N. arms inspectors exaggerated problems over progress in their reports to the Security Council but Baghdad would work on the problems, including scientists' rejection of private U.N. interviews. Lt. Gen. Amir Rashid also said Iraq would allow U.N. reconnaissance overflights if the Security Council told Washington to ground its attack planes during such missions.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the "damning and disturbing" report by U.N. weapons inspectors proved Iraq was in "material breach" -- or violation -- of the U.N. disarmament resolution and made war more likely. It was the first time Britain branded Iraq in material breach since inspectors resumed their work in November.

French President Jacques Chirac said inspections must be given more time, but "Iraq's cooperation must improve," Chirac's spokeswoman said. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said, "It's quite clear that the regime of Saddam Hussein has to comply fully."