Middle East: Saddam steps up pressure on UN with call to arms

Iraq turned up the volume in the war of words over United Nations arms inspectors yesterday. It called up a million Iraqis for weapons training, and warned it would cease all co-operation with the UN. But both sides are still fencing, says Andrew Marshall.

Iraq's Vice-President, Taha Yassin Ramadan, said 1 million Iraqis would take part in weapons training starting next month as part of a jihad (holy war) to end UN sanctions on their country. "We are determined [to carry out] a great jihad to lift the sanctions," Mr Ramadan said. "There is no alternative to this after seven years of patience and co-operation with the United Nations and its committees."

Saddam Hussein had urged mobilising the Iraqi people on Saturday night in comments to leaders of the ruling Baath Party, saying that "the Americans are continuing to harm our people, which requires a new method of response".

Speaking on the seventh anniversary of the outbreak of the 1991 Gulf War, the Iraqi President said the country faced a continuing military threat from the United States and called for volunteers. "We should show an essential part of the people's determination under the leadership of the great Baath [Party] to fight in order that Iraq exists and remains as it should be," he said.

"Although we are in the eighth year [since the war] our enemies, the enemies of God and humanity - America and Zionism - are still continuing their evil work and searching for any thread of hope to fulfil their wicked goals," President Saddam said.

He warned the US against using military force to resolve the dispute over UN weapons inspections in Iraq, which flared again last week when an American-led team was barred. And he threatened to carry out a recommendation by Iraq's parliament which gave the UN weapons inspectors a May deadline to complete their work.

Defence Secretary George Robertson said he still hoped for a diplomatic solution to the crisis: "I think we are likely to hear a lot of noise but hopefully a diplomatic solution will be found," he told BBC television.

Britain on Friday sent the aircraft carrier Invincible to the Gulf. But Mr Robertson declined to be drawn on the possible use of force by the US and Britain, saying it was a last resort.

The confrontation - a repetition of events late last year - is still in its early stages. The weekend's eruptions seemed timed to coincide with the visit to Baghdad today of the UN's chief arms inspector Richard Butler, who heads the United Nations Special Commission (Unscom) charged with dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

America has only one close supporter on the UN Security Council: Britain. France, Russia and China have all distanced themselves from the US stance, and sought ways around the problem. During last year's confrontation, violence was averted when Russia brokered a deal that seemed to offer Saddam a way out of sanctions.