Iraq parliament rejects U.N. inspection resolution

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's parliament recommended Tuesday that President Saddam Hussein reject the new U.N. weapons inspection resolution, but the Iraqi leader's son offered a way out -- make Arabs part of the U.N. team.

Odai Saddam Hussein's proposal, which echoes one from the Arab League, didn't impress Washington. The United States insists Iraq accept the U.N. resolution without quibbling in order to avoid war. The final decision rests with Saddam, who must respond to the United Nations by Friday.

"There's nothing in this resolution that is negotiable," Sean McCormack, President Bush's spokesman, said in Washington.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he would be happy to accept Iraq's response to the U.N. resolution anytime before the end of the day Friday, the U.N.-imposed deadline.

"We haven't fixed any precise time, but I think everybody will be satisfied if we got a letter ... by the end of the day on the 15th," Annan told reporters.

Iraqi representatives, who must pledge loyalty to Saddam to earn a place in the 250-seat parliament, voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend rejecting the U.N. resolution.

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 U.N. resolution ... there are major allegations which are baseless."

The parliamentary resolution 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."