Iraq kicked off a United Nations debate tonight with a pledge to fully co-operate with UN arms inspections and a plea to the international community to head off the looming US-led attack.
"Iraq reaffirms that peaceful means, dialogue and co-operation are the best means to resolve the current crisis," Iraqi UN Ambassador Mr Mohammed Aldouri said, calling for member-states "to prevent a catastrophe which has now become imminent."
But Kuwait, speaking next at the start of a two-day meeting proposed by the Non-Aligned Movement of developing nations, recalled Iraq's 1990 invasion of the emirate and said war or peace would be up to the Iraqi government.
"The draft resolution before the council gives the Iraqi government an additional period of time during which it could reveal its holdings of weapons of mass destruction," Kuwaiti UN Ambassador Mr Mohammad Abulhasan said.
The council agreed to the debate to hear from the 176 nations that are not Security Council members. The 15 council nations are considering a draft resolution put forward by the United States, Britain and Spain that would pave the way for war.
The United States has called for a vote by the end of this week on the resolution while signaling it was open to some modification that could broaden support for the proposal in the deeply divided council.
Mr Aldouri this evening insisted Baghdad had no weapons of mass destruction and accused the United States and Britain of using council resolutions and the UN inspections "as a pretext to declare war on Iraq."
He also denied that a drone Baghdad is developing was illegal, although chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix said yesterday that Iraq should have declared the pilotless aircraft.
Malaysia, which currently heads the Non-Aligned Movement of 115 developing nations, pleaded for a peaceful resolution. "In the name of humanity, we appeal to the members of the council not to resort to military action against Iraq," Malaysian envoy Mr Zainuddin Yahya.
The debate is continuing this evening.