The United States continued its build-up of military forces in the Gulf region yesterday, in spite of the agreement by Iraq to allow the return of UN arms inspectors. Washington was anxious to dispel any suggestion that a deal might have been done by the Russians involving "concessions" to President Saddam Hussein.
President Clinton said that, despite the agreement apparently brokered between Moscow and Baghdad, the US was adopting a "wait and see" attitude towards the intentions of Mr Saddam.
"We will wait and see whether he does in fact comply with the will of the international community and allow all of the weapons inspectors back to Iraq so that they can get on with their jobs without interference," Mr Clinton told reporters at the White House.
He said the US "must remain and will remain resolute in our determination to prevent him from threatening his neighbours and the world with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons".
An additional 36 US combat aircraft were ordered to the Gulf region yesterday. This order followed the earlier departure from US bases of six B-52 bombers and six F-117 Stealth fighters.
The President's National Security Adviser, Mr Sandy Berger, said yesterday that more combat aircraft were being sent to the Gulf and that the US would remain sceptical about any agreement until the UN inspectors resumed their work.
He said that, despite the agreement announced in Geneva at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council, "I stand before you today, even after last night, not saying that this is over, because it will not be over in our judgement until these people are let back in and we see that they are able to do their job".
Mr Berger was also anxious to emphasise that the US has been party to no deal which some commentators suspect may have been struck between the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Yevgeny Primakov, and Mr Saddam.
"There is no understanding, no deal, no concession," said Mr Berger. Even if there was an understanding between Russia and Iraq "it is not binding on us", he added.
There have been reports that Russia has told Iraq that a time limit will be set on the present sanctions, that the composition of the UN inspectors could be changed to reduce the number of Americans and that the reconnaissance flights might be ended.
But Mr Berger insisted that the Security Council would now have to establish that Iraq was conforming with its previous resolutions calling for a return of the inspectors without conditions. He pointed out that the United States has a veto in the council.
The US ambassador to the UN, Mr Bill Richardson, told reporters in New York: "The news out of Geneva is a step forward, an opening, but it is not a resolution of the issue."
The Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, met the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, in New York yesterday to discuss the latest situation. Mr Cohen said later that they both agreed there had to be "full compliance" with the UN conditions for a return of the inspectors.
He said that the extra US forces sent to the Gulf would remain as long as they were needed but he did not foresee any further forces being sent there after today unless the US commander in the region asked for them.
[Reuter adds: French President Jacques Chirac thanked President Yeltsin and Mr Clinton yesterday for helping to defuse the crisis. He paid an especially warm tribute to Mr Yeltsin, saying that the Geneva foreign ministers' meeting on Iraq "marks the very spectacular return of your country on to the Middle East stage".
Earlier yesterday the French Foreign Ministry announced it was "very pleased" with the meeting's outcome but they had not resolved all the problems surrounding Iraqi compliance with UN resolutions.