US compromises with UN on Iraq inspections

UNITED NATIONS -- Facing strong opposition from dozens of nations, the United States has backed down from its demand that a new U.N. resolution must authorize military force if Baghdad fails to cooperate with weapons inspectors, diplomats told The Associated Press Thursday.\nInstead, the United States is now floating a compromise which would give inspectors a chance to test Iraq's will to cooperate on the ground. If Iraq then failed to disarm, the Bush administration would agree to return to the Security Council for further debate and possibly another resolution authorizing action.\nRussian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said he believes there are now "favorable conditions" for council agreement on a resolution that will lead to the quick return of inspectors.\nThe new compromise also drops tough wording explicitly threatening Iraq upfront, although the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a threat of consequences will be implied.\nThe diplomats said France, which has been the main stumbling block for the United States, was studying the new offer amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at solving an impasse among the Security Council powers on Iraq.\nDuring an open Security Council debate on Iraq, which started Wednesday and continued Thursday, more than two dozen nations--including Iraq's closest neighbors and key U.S. allies--refused to endorse the Bush administration's demand for an authorization of military force if Baghdad fails to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspections.\nThey said Iraq must be given a chance to completely disarm without the imminent threat of military action.\nAmbassador Jeremy Greenstock of Britain, whose country is supporting the U.S. position, said the emphasis was on reaching a deal that all sides could accept.\n"We're looking for unity in the council," he said.\nMany U.N. members favor the two-resolution approach proposed by France and backed by Russia and China.\nIvanov said Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told him the new U.S. and British proposals will take Russia's opinion into account, and will be submitted in the next day or two.\n"We believe that there are favorable conditions now to preserve the unity of the global community and ensure the return of international inspectors and their efficient work in Iraq," he said. "We are looking forward to seeing this document."\nHe said Powell "underlined that the United States is interested in reaching a consensus among the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council in order to implement all U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraq"