RIYADH, Nov 10: Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal has indicated that Baghdad has agreed to accept the new UN resolution after obtaining assurances from the UN Security Council member Syria, that the resolution did not foresee automatic recourse to military action.

“The Arab ministers welcomed Iraq’s acceptance of Resolution 1441, following assurances from Syria that this resolution does not provide for automatic military action (against Baghdad),” Prince Saud was quoted here as telling the reporters.

The UN Resolution has apparently also put the issue of regime change in Baghdad on a back burner.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell was quoted here as saying during an interview that Saddam’s government might be allowed to survive. “If the Iraqi regime got rid of its weapons of mass destruction and cooperates with inspectors, this will be considered a full change in the regime,” Powell told the Arabic Al-Jazeera Television.

Saudi Second Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Sultan has also expressed hope that the return of UN weapons inspectors in Baghdad would save Iraq as well as the region from a devastating war.