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The Standoff with Iraq

U.N. on 'verge of breakthrough' in Iraq

February 22, 1998
Web posted at: 2:31 p.m. EST (1931 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Kofi Annan held another round of talks Sunday evening with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, shortly after a spokesman said that the U.N. secretary-general had made "substantial progress" in crisis talks with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

United Nations and Iraq were now on the "verge of breakthrough" in the standoff over weapons inspections, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

Officials said that all major issues had been resolved and that discussions were now focused on details.

Eckhard announced the positive trend of the discussions earlier on Sunday, after Annan held three hours of talks with Hussein, whose government has effectively blocked key U.N. weapons inspections and demanded a new format and time frame for the disarmament inspections.

Eckhard says negotiations with Iraq are on the "verge of a breakthrough" 323K/30 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

"Substantial progress was made today. We feel that a deal is within reach," Eckhard told a news conference shortly after the talks, which were held at a secret location.

"He (Annan) expects that what emerges from these talks, he will be able to sell to the (U.N.) Security Council," Eckhard said.

Annan was expected to be back in New York on Tuesday to brief the Security Council members on his mission.

Eckhard did not reveal any further details of Annan's talks and did not comment on whether the main "deal breaker," as he had described it earlier in the day, had been resolved.

That "deal breaker" was widely believed to be Iraq's insistence that the U.N. limit its inspections to a maximum time of two months -- a condition that has been rejected by the United Nations and, in particular, the United States and Britain.

The United States -- which has deployed a formidable military force in the Gulf region -- has vowed to hit Iraq with its military might if Annan fails to persuade Saddam to open all sites without conditions.

An Iraqi government newspaper on Sunday called the U.S. demand for unconditional access "illogical and unrealistic" and said the best way out of the crisis was a compromise.

The Al-Thawra newspaper did not elaborate on what such a compromise might entail.

Interactive Maps Key locations in Iraq Pinpointing Iraq's deadly arsenal Databank Allied forces in the Gulf Who's Who Key players in the Iraq-U.N. drama Multimedia Recap of the 1991 Gulf War Message Boards Will Saddam Hussein live up to the deal?

Also Sunday, Iraq's parliament sent a memorandum to members of the Security Council, urging them to prevent the United States from using force.

Sanctions could be lifted soon

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said Sunday that the U.N. sanctions against Iraq could be dismantled soon if Hussein implements an accord accepted by the world body.

"If he (Hussein) really is willing this time to cooperate, that could be done in the fairly near future," Cook said.

"Sanctions could not be lifted if he signs up to the agreement, but sanctions could certainly be lifted if he carries out the agreement," Cook said.

Cook said any agreement must be in writing and must ensure that Iraq's program of weapons development is stopped in its tracks.

He also indicated Britain was prepared for flexibility on minor points. "If Saddam negotiates for buttons and bows to be tied around that package, that is something we could live with," he said.

Britain has so far been the most outspoken supporter of the U.S. military option. France, Russia and China -- the other three permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- are opposed to using military strikes as a solution to the crisis.

Correspondents Christiane Amanpour and Brent Sadler and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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