Iraq warns missile destruction could stop

Iraq warned it could stop destruction of its banned missiles if Washington ignored the United Nations to go ahead with war.

Iraq warned it could stop destruction of its banned missiles if Washington ignored the United Nations to go ahead with war.

Iraq scrapped a second batch of its some 120 al-Samoud 2 missiles yesterday as part of an expected two-week programme.Baghdad also opened talks with inspectors on VX nerve gas and anthrax stocks it says it has destroyed, posing further problems for the United States and close ally Britain in pressing a wary UN Security Council to back a new resolution paving the way for war.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, General Amir al-Saadi, said Baghdad was providing "full" co-operation to the United Nations and took a swipe at US President George W. Bush's threats to lead what he calls a "coalition of the willing" to disarm Iraq of alleged weapons of mass destruction if the UN fails to act.

"If it turns out that in early stages during this month America is not going the legal way . . . why should we continue [destroying the missiles)]?" he said.

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The United States accused Iraq of playing a "game of deception" and hiding weapons of mass destruction. Washington showed no sign of letting up in its drive for UN backing despite fresh opposition from France and Russia, two of the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council.

Moreover, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan held out little hope to Washington that his country's parliament might reconsider its narrow vote on Saturday to bar US forces from using Turkish soil as a launchpad to attack Iraq.

The Pentagon says it can draw up alternative plans for a war against Iraq without using Turkey as a northern front, but analysts believe such a campaign would be slower, more costly and far more risky.

In a sign of how important Turkey is to its plans, Washington has offered Ankara up to $30 billion in grants and loan guarantees to shore up a frail economy recovering from its deepest recession since 1945. A $16 billion IMF loan package could also now be seriously in question.