December 21, 2002	Saturday	Shawwal 16, 1423

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WASHINGTON, Dec 20: President George W. Bush said on Friday that Iraq’s arms declaration was not encouraging and vowed that the United States is “serious about keeping the peace.”

“Yesterday was a disappointing day for those who long for peace,” Bush told reporters a day after the United States declared Iraq in “material breach” of a UN disarmament resolution for failing to disclose suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes.

Bush spoke as he met representatives from the United Nations, the European Union and Russia on ways to advance the Middle East peace process.

He said the Iraqi arms document as analysed by the United States “was not encouraging.”

“We expected him to show that he would disarm,” Bush said of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein—Reuters