Iraq surprises the west

What's behind this Iraqi invitation?

Not for the first time, Saddam Hussein has tweaked the tail of his tormentors. In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, the Iraqi Foreign Minister has invited a team of weapons inspectors to visit Baghdad at their earliest convenience.

This unexpected move has caught the West on the hop. It is still UN policy to restore the inspection regime that was rudely terminated four years ago - but the United States, in particular, will be far from pleased about Iraq's apparent readiness to comply. President Bush has built up a strong head of steam behind his plan to launch an invasion of Iraq: many of his allies are fiercely opposed to such an idea, and even Tony Blair, according to no less a source than King Abdullah of Jordan, is said to be wobbling.

King Abdullah of Jordan and President Bush

It will be immeasurably harder for Mr Bush to rally support for military action against an Iraq which gives the appearance of co-operation with the outside world. Not surprisingly, the British Foreign Office was extremely reluctant to betray any sign of enthusiasm for Saddam's offer: a statement pointed out that he had a long history of playing games.

On today's programme we hear from a high ranking Iraqi and from the former US Assitant Secretary of State to the Clinton administration, James Rubin.

A summer of discontent

The next two months promise to be stormy - not least amongst workers in a whole range of public services. This lunchtime, the Arbitration service ACAS is holding talks with both sides in the dispute involving local council staff: a one-day strike in July was supported by three-quarters of a million people.

A further strike is threatened on August 14th, unless the employers agree to improve their current three-percent offer. Elsewhere in the public services - the employers have broken off negotiations with fire-fighters, who are threatening strike action: and teachers have reacted unenthusiastically to a plan for pay increases to be more closely linked to performance.

We hear from Robert Taylor, former Financial Times employment editor and now at the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance.

Click on the audio links above.