Global Policy Forum

Iraq has announced an agreement with the United Nations to embark on dialogue without preconditions - a move which could lead to the lifting of sanctions.

Our correspondent in Qatar, Frank Gardner, said the Iraqi delegation emerged from talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan with an air of triumph. He says the absence of conditions is highly significant because Iraq has been trying for two years to ignore UN Security Council resolutions which offers to suspend UN sanctions if Iraq lets UN weapons inspectors back into the country.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf told the BBC that it had no intention of allowing inspections.

Annan vague

In theory, the new agreement now means Iraq can have a dialogue with the UN that circumvents this long-standing demand. The move will not please the US and Britain, who both want sanctions, in place since the Gulf War, to remain until UN weapons inspectors give Iraq a clean bill of health.

However, Kofi Annan was rather more vague about the issue. He said he was hoping to find ways to break the current deadlock over sanctions, but that no mechanism for contacts had yet been agreed.

Our correspondent says he will now need to have some detailed discussions with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Sanctions eroding

"The US and Britain will resist anything that appears to let Iraq off the hook in terms of weapons inspections." he said. "The sanctions on Iraq are fast eroding, Baghdad is being rehabilitated and the UN's current policy on Iraq is outdated and ineffective."

In an apparent second diplomatic triumph for Iraq, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) softened its position on Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The OIC adopted a final statement on the Iraq-Kuwait dispute which represents a considerable shift towards the Iraqi position. It agreed to change its description of the invasion from "aggression" to "situation" and indirectly called on the US and UK to end patrols of no-fly zones over Iraq.

In deference to Kuwait, the OIC called for a quick solution to the problem of Kuwaiti prisoners still held in Iraq.

Strong language

BBC Diplomatic Correspondent Barnaby Mason said that Iraq is in a stronger position than at previous meetings as it moves towards normalising relations with countries like Iran and Egypt.

And President Saddam Hussein showed his most uncompromising face in a message to assembled leaders. He urged all Muslims to fight to liberate "greater Palestine" from "accursed Jews", the most extreme language heard at the meeting.