The US President has once again warned Iraq that it could face further punitive measures if it continues to prevent full UN weapons inspections.

Baghdad now seems to be back on a collision course with the United States and other countries which insist on full access to ensure Iraq is not rebuilding an armoury of chemical and biological weapons.

Speaking at a news conference, President Clinton said: "If there is further obstruction ... we have to consider other options."

Mr Clinton told reporters in Washington that sanctions on Iraq would not be lifted until it complied with all UN resolutions. "We have to be very firm," he said.

Earlier, Baghdad said it would co-operate with inspectors if they respected Iraqi sovereignty.

Butler heads for home after his failed mission to Iraq

But the UN chief weapons inspector, Richard Butler, left Iraq on Tuesday without agreement on access to presidential palaces as demanded by the Security Council.

During his four-day visit, Mr Butler by his own admission made no progress. He did not received a new report on biological weapons as promised by the Iraqi authorities.

He also confirmed that the Iraqis said they would never allow the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) to visit presidential sites.

He then told Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, "that that decision was something on which I would have to report to the Security Council because it did constitute a deregation from the Council's insistence that UNSCOM should be able to go anywhere at any time."

Mr Butler is expected to report to the Security Council on Thursday.

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©