He also stressed that the UN provides the unique legitimacy for this action.
Subsequently, Iraqi foreign affairs minister, Naji Sabri, informed the Secretary-General by a letter about his government’s decision to accept an unconditional return of UN weapon inspectors on 16 September 2002. In his words, Iraq responded to the appeal of the League of Arab States, as well as other Arab, Islamic and friendly countries. This act could be understood as Iraq’s wish to prevent the adoption of a new Security Council resolution that would impose more stringent demands. Kofi Annan passed the letter afterwards on to the Security Council to decide what to do next.
The reactions to this offer were of two types. One could be named as boundless optimism (Russia, China), the other one (USA, UK) was much more skeptical, insisting that it was only the first step in a long process. The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) responded by an advance party of inspectors to visit selected sites and organize equipment that would arrive in Iraq on 15 October. Then, two 60-day inspection tours would follow lasting at least four months.
But on the same day, US Secretary of State Colin Powel said that his government “would block the return of inspectors unless serious weaknesses in the existing inspection arrangements were resolved by means of a new Security Council resolution”. Russia objected, arguing that Iraq’s obligations are set out clearly in existing resolutions. However, USA and UK concerned that the access for inspectors would not be unconditional and that UNMOVIC would be constrained by previous agreements between UNSCOM and Iraq, such as the 1998 Memorandum of Understanding. They called for a “tough, new inspection regime”. As a result of this discrepancy, on 20 September President George W. Bush asked the US Congress for authority to use “whatever appropriate means - including force” against Iraq if necessary. The Congress approved his proposal.
The tension increased on 5 October after US an UK air attacks on military facilities in western Iraq. This convinced other nations that the US took its’ call for action seriously.
On 8 November 2002, finally, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 1441. This was a little surprise, when even China and Syria voted affirmatively.
This decision meant a “final opportunity for Iraq to comply with its disarmament obligations, while setting up an enhanced inspection regime for full and verified completion of the disarmament process established by resolution 687 (1991)” .
In concrete, the resumed inspections were to begin within 45 days. Within seven days Iraq had to confirm its intention to comply fully with the resolution.