Iraq 'only co-operates before Security Council meetings'

Iraq times its co-operation with the United Nations weapons inspectors to coincide with the run-up to Security Council meetings, Hans Blix will say in his report this week, according to senior UN sources.

The report by Mr Blix, the chief weapons inspector, will not give Baghdad a clean bill of health. It is expected to say that the flow of information about its alleged chemical and biological weaponry has varied, depending on whether Security Council meetings were imminent. The UN monitors do not accept that Iraq has been totally candid on its weapons, and they think more information will come out. But they believe the inspection system is working, and should be allowed to continue.

Mr Blix will meet Dimitri Perricos, the head of Unmovic (the UN Monitoring and Verification Commission), in New York today on his return from Baghdad. The report is not due to be finished until midnight tomorrow and Mr Blix will peruse it overnight before presenting it to the UN on Friday in what is seen as a meeting that will pave the way either for war, or for the inspections to continue.

"He is going to be very careful with his words, because he knows that some countries will want to use them to suit their purpose," said the UN source. "There is no doubt that this is a critical week."

A draft copy of Mr Blix's report, which surfaced last week, said results on Iraq's disarmament had so far been "very limited". It added: "Iraq could have greater efforts to find any remaining proscribed items or provide credible evidence showing the absence of such items."

Saddam Hussein proclaimed in Baghdad yesterday that Iraq will be "victorious against aggression" and described George Bush as the "despot of this century".

In a message read out on Iraqi television to mark the Islamic New Year, President Saddam said: "What does the despot of this century want? What is the right path to defeat him? The despot imagines that he is like God, capable of controlling the universe and doing whatever he wishes, but the devil has pushed him into the abyss of blasphemy.

"The tyrant thinks that he is capable of enslaving people and besieging their freedom, their decisions and their legitimate choices."

President Saddam's defiant message came a day after six Gulf states urged Arabs and Muslims to consider an initiative calling for President Saddam to step down.

The Baghdad government has been cheered by the decision of the Turkish parliament not to allow US troops to use its bases for an invasion of Iraq. Senior officials said they believe this may have delayed an invasion by weeks.