October 5, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 27, 1423

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4: Under intense pressure from the United States and Britain, the UN weapons inspection chief, Hans Blix, indicated that Iraqi weapons inspectors would not begin their work until the UN Security Council adopts a resolution giving inspectors broad new powers.

Blix said on Thursday after briefing the Security Council on the agreement reached with the Iraqi team in Vienna that he hoped council members would make up their minds quickly. If the rules changed while he was in Iraq, he said, “It would be awkward.”

Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is in charge of nuclear inspections, indicated that inspectors would wait for a decision.

Meanwhile, Blix and ElBaradei left for Washington on Friday for meetings with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

“I hope to hear something of what their planning is, and we’ll tell them what our planning is,” Blix told reporters.

Diplomats here said Blix, a seasoned diplomat and veteran arms inspector, had made a practical decision to hold off his trip as he saw how intense the negotiations over the inspections have become.

“We have not purchased air tickets yet,” Blix said. “But we have plans, our readiness is there to go, yes.” He said he hoped it would not be a “long delay.”

But France and Russia, two veto-wielding Security Council members, dug in their heels against giving the United States and Britain a blanket permission in the first resolution to launch a military strike to topple Iraqi president.

Russia, using its clout as a permanent veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, hardened its stance against any new UN resolution on Iraq urging a quick return of weapons’ inspectors there under their existing mandate.

Russia urged that the inspectors be dispatched to Iraq without delay.

“It is necessary to ensure the quickest possible deployment of UNMOVIC inspection mission in the country (Iraq),” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint statement with visiting Chilean President Ricardo Lagos.

The United States says a new mandate is critical to the disarmament of Saddam Hussein, but Russia says it is not needed and would cause unnecessary delay to a resumption of inspections.

Blix said that many issues had been solved during his talks with the Iraqis in Vienna. “But there are some minor matters and some loose ends before we go to Baghdad.”

The United States leaped on Blix’s reference to “loose ends,” saying it reinforced the need for a resolution providing inspectors with new powers.

US President Bush, stepped up his pressure on the United Nations to stand with the United States against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

“The choice is up (to) the United Nations to show its resolve. The choice is up to Saddam Hussein to fulfill his word,” Bush said. “And if neither of them acts, the United States in deliberate fashion will lead a coalition to take away the world’s worst weapons from one of the world’s worst leaders.”

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters it is “up to the council today or in the coming week to determine what the next stage would be.”