Threats Won’t Sway Iraq to Allow Arms Inspections, Official Says

Threats of a U.S. invasion will not help persuade Iraq to allow investigators in to verify whether Baghdad has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction, the chief U.N. arms inspector said Sunday.

In an interview with BBC television, Hans Blix reiterated earlier statements that Iraq’s latest overtures about allowing teams of U.N. arms inspectors to return were not acceptable as they stood, but said Baghdad might eventually agree to more rigorous terms.

However, he warned, “if the Iraqis conclude that an invasion by someone is inevitable, then they might conclude that it is not very meaningful to have inspections.”

Meanwhile, Bahrain, a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf region and the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, said along with Iran that it would oppose American military action against Iraq.