Iraq reluctantly accepted on Wednesday a tough new U.N. resolution that gives Baghdad one last chance to disarm and paves the way for weapons inspectors to return to the country after a four-year absence. Faced with a Friday deadline, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri surprised diplomats by submitting a letter of acceptance to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan two days early. The nine-page letter castigated the United States and Britain as liars and denied Iraq had any weapons of mass destruction. It also accused other members of the U.N. Security Council, who approved the resolution in a 15-0 vote last Friday, of succumbing to American pressure.

But Sabri nevertheless wrote, "We hereby inform you that we will deal with resolution 1441, despite its bad contents."

"Iraq has accepted," Annan told reporters outside the White House after meeting President Bush, saying the inspectors could now go to Baghdad on Monday.

"I think the issue is not the acceptance but performance on the ground," he said. "I urge the Iraqis to cooperate with them and to perform. I think that is the real test we are all waiting for."

An advance party of U.N. technicians is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Monday to prepare for inspections, which are not expected to begin for another week or two. The group will be accompanied by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix, and his counterpart from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei.

Inspectors were withdrawn in December 1998, the eve of a U.S.-British bombing campaign, saying Iraq was obstructing the work of the U.N. arms experts.

RUSSIA, GULF NATIONS URGE COOPERATION

Iraq, whose parliament had met to reject the resolution, was urged to say "yes" by Russia and Gulf Arab nations.

While the current president of the Security Council, Yishan Zhang of China said the 15-member body welcomed "the correct decision" by Iraq, the White House said Baghdad had done what was expected.

"We've heard this before from Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime. Now we need to see it by Saddam Hussein's actions.

The onus continues to be on Saddam Hussein. This is his choice," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bush again warned President Saddam Hussein he had to disarm or the United States would do it for him. "If he chooses not to disarm, we will disarm him. That should be clear to Saddam Hussein and everybody else." he said.

Iraq's letter was delivered to Annan's office by its U.N. ambassador Mohamed Aldouri. The resolution had given Iraq one week, until Nov. 15, to accept the document.

"LIES AND MANIPULATION"

Sabri, in the letter, said, "The lies and manipulations of the American administration and the British government will be exposed, while the world will see how truthful and adequate the Iraqis are in what they say and do."

He said he hoped the truth would be revealed and Iraq could "drive away the cawing of the crows of evil that daily raid its land, kill Iraqis and destroy their property by their bombs."

Sabri, in the letter, again said Iraq was not developing weapons of mass destruction "whether nuclear, chemical or biological as claimed by evil people."

The next step for Iraq is to submit a "full, accurate and complete" declaration within 30 days, by Dec. 8, of all its programs to develop and deliver dangerous weapons as well as civilian materials that could have military applications.

Sabri also stressed that the Security Council had a duty to lift sanctions against Iraq, first imposed when Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

And he noted the 1991 cease-fire resolution 687 called for the Middle East region to be free of weapons of mass destruction, saying this provision should be applied to Israel, the "Zionist entity."

Russia and Arab nations had urged Iraq to accept the resolution despite misgivings.

"The language of the resolution is rather harsh, so the emotions it can stir in Iraqi society are understandable," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told a news conference on Wednesday. But he stressed that the resolution "does not include a clause on the automatic use of force."

Gulf Arab states neighboring Iraq also called on Baghdad "to abide so as not to give a chance to any excuses that might lead to an increase in the suffering of the Iraqi people."

Syria, which disappointed Baghdad by voting in favor of the resolution has said it would not join any U.S.-led coalition that might attack Baghdad

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is seen addressing members of his Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) in Baghdad November 13, 2002. Iraq said on Wednesday it has accepted a new U.N Security Council resolution, which orders Baghdad to disarm and cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors or face 'serious consequences.' (Iraqi News Agency/Reuters)