Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani's state visit was the first by a Gulf Arab foreign minister to Iraq in at least four years and would focus on arms inspections as a key to averting a potential US attack on Iraq.

"We will ask Iraq to cooperate and accept resolutions of the United Nations and consider (UN weapons) inspectors," al-Thani said. "We are not mediators in this issue, but we are an Arab country and we are trying as best as we can to spare the region new tragedies."

Qatar was the first Gulf Arab country to reopen ties with Iraq after Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait by a US-led coalition during the 1991 Gulf War. Qatar was also the third Gulf Arab state to sign a free-trade agreement with Iraq, which has the second largest oil reserves in the world.

Iraq has made various overtures to the United Nations in recent weeks about allowing UN arms inspectors to return for the first time in four years. A key condition for easing UN sanctions imposed since Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 would be a full accounting of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

US President Bush has branded Iraq part of an "axis of evil," accusing it of supporting terrorism and developing weapons of mass destruction. He has vowed to use all tools at his disposal to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Iraq has repeatedly denied those accusations and accused Washington of wanting to return the inspectors at all costs to update intelligence information for a possible attack.

Qatar is home to a US military base, which Washington is upgrading, prompting speculation that it could be used as a launch pad for attacks on Iraq, even though Qatar has officially opposed such a US assault.

Iraq has said any talks with the United Nations on the inspectors' return should also focus on lifting 12-year-old sanctions and the US- and British-enforced no-fly zones in southern and northern Iraq, imposed since the 1991 Gulf War.

(China Daily August 27, 2002)