President Clinton has declared victory in the crisis with Iraq over arms inspections after coming within hours of launching a series of punishing air strikes. The President also declared that the US would work for a change of government in Baghdad.
The UN Security Council decided yesterday that the UNSCOM weapons inspectors would return to Iraq tomorrow. The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, said that the outcome has been "a victory for diplomacy and resolve" but he could not "guarantee that this agreement will work".
President Clinton's statement yesterday came after a dramatic weekend in which he had given the order for a first wave of cruise missile attacks and then cancelled it when a letter arrived from Iraq at the UN headquarters offering to allow the UNSCOM inspectors continue their work. Their mission is to eliminate weapons of mass destruction - nuclear, chemical and biological.
The US first rejected the Iraqi offer as unacceptable because of an annexe to the letter setting out conditions for the review of UN sanctions against Iraq. The US immediate threat to bomb Iraq was only withdrawn when Baghdad said that the decision to allow the inspections was unconditional.
Faced with criticism that the US was being manipulated yet again by President Saddam Hussein, Mr Clinton insisted that the US and Britain with the support of the international community had "produced the outcome we preferred - Saddam Hussein reversing course, letting the inspectors go back to work without restrictions or conditions".
The President tried to deflect criticism for cancelling the air strikes by saying: "Iraq has backed down, but that is not enough. Now Iraq must live up to its obligations."
He listed five conditions which will be a test for the US if Iraq is complying with its obligations under the various UN resolutions and the memorandum of understanding signed by the deputy prime minister, Mr Tariq Aziz, and the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, which ended the previous crisis.
The five conditions were:
Iraq must resolve all outstanding issues raised by UNSCOM.
Unfettered access for inspectors.
Iraq must turn over all relevant documents.
Iraq must accept all resolutions on weapons of mass destruction.
No interference with independence of weapons inspectors.
The President warned that "until we see complete compliance, we will remain vigilant, we will keep up the pressure, we will be ready to act".
The build-up of US military might in the Gulf region is continuing. More aircraft left for bases in various Arab states around Iraq and the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, will reach the Persian Gulf in about a week.
The President's National Security Adviser, Mr Sandy Berger, denied that US credibility had been damaged by the decision not to attack Iraq. "I don't think there was any credibility with Saddam Hussein last night. He understands that we were prepared to use force. . . and that's why he backed down".
There was strong support for the US by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, who also warned that Iraq's non-compliance with its UN obligations could lead to military action.
Mr Tariq Aziz later told CNN that he had to "condemn strongly the statement of President Clinton regarding the plans of his Government to overthrow the Government of Iraq." This was "a flagrant violation of the Security Council resolutions as well as of international law".
Mr Aziz refused to comment for the time being on the rest of Mr Clinton's statement about the ending of the crisis but said that that UNSCOM inspectors "can return to Iraq anytime they wish." They would be given "all co-operation according to UN resolutions".