Iraq's ambassador will request to speak to council after Powell

UNITED NATIONS -- Iraq's U.N. ambassador said Sunday he will ask to speak to the Security Council after Secretary of State Colin Powell presents what the United States says will be new evidence of Iraq's weapons programs and links to al-Qaida.

Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri said the Iraqi government has decided against sending a high-ranking official to respond to Powell. But he said he will make a formal request today to the council president, Germany's U.N. Ambassador Gunter Pleuger, to speak after the secretary of state's address Wednesday.

"We will assert our position that we have no link with al-Qaida, whatever Mr. Colin Powell says," Al-Douri said. "We will also assert our position to be fully cooperative with the inspectors, and we will state" that the meetings on Friday and Saturday with top weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei will produce "positive" results.

There had been speculation in diplomatic circles that Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz might attend.

"It has been decided they will not send anyone, so I will represent the country," Al-Douri told The Associated Press. "I will ask to speak."

Unveiled intelligence

The United States requested the meeting so Powell can unveil newly declassified intelligence. The Bush administration hopes the information will convince reluctant council members that U.N. inspections are not working because of continued Iraqi defiance -- a finding that could pave the way for military action.

The United States faces an uphill struggle to get council support for a quick war against Iraq. Despite critical reports from top U.N. inspectors and President Bush laying out his case against Saddam Hussein during his State of the Union address, 11 of the 15 council members said last week they favored continued inspections and efforts to disarm Iraq peacefully.

Al-Douri said his response will depend on what Powell and other council members have to say. From media reports, the ambassador said, "We don't think he will present something spectacular."

Powell's address will take place three days before top weapons inspectors Blix and ElBaradei return to Baghdad at the invitation of the government. Their next report to the Security Council on the progress of inspections and Iraq's cooperation is due Feb. 14, and likely will play a crucial role in the council's decision on the next steps in Iraq.

In Baghdad, Iraq's chief liaison with the inspectors, Maj. Gen. Hossam Mohamed Amin, said Sunday the government is "keen to resolve any pending issues" and indicated that Iraq may have compromise proposals on hand for the talks with the U.N. inspection chiefs.

Iraq, which steadfastly denies it has weapons of mass destruction, is under pressure to make concessions and show progress in the U.N. inspections process to forestall any U.S.-British diplomatic bid for support for military action.

The Security Council discussed arrangements for Wednesday's meeting on Friday and agreed that Powell would speak first, and the 14 other council members then would have 10 minutes each to respond. The foreign ministers of many council nations are flying to New York for the meeting, reflecting its importance.

Syria, representing Arab nations, proposed Friday that a high-ranking Iraqi official be allowed to speak, but no decision was taken because Iraq had not made a formal request.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that under the U.N. Charter Iraq can take part in the meeting.

"It's their sovereign right," Lavrov said. "I don't think anyone can dispute that the charter says if you consider a dispute involving a particular country they shall participate."

But the question of whether an Iraqi representative can speak still has to be settled.

Council diplomats said that when the issue of Iraq's right to speak was raised at Friday's closed meeting, none of the 15 council members -- including U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte -- objected.