Senior Iraqi officials told chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix yesterday Iraq will give “full co-operation and full transparency” to inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction. Iraq also intends to meet the UN’s December 8th deadline and make a full declaration of all material it holds relating to chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration continues to insist Iraq is already violating the Security Council resolution by firing on US and British aircraft over the so-called 'no fly-zones' in northern and southern Iraq.

But in a rare rebuke to Washington, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan adamantly told reporters the anti-aircraft fire does not breach the resolution.

Today on Democracy Now, we’ll spend the hour with maverick journalist Robert Fisk. He is the Middle East correspondent for the British daily newspaper, The Independent and has been based in Beirut, Lebanon for 26 years.

He joined us in our firehouse studio yesterday. I asked him to comment on the Bush administration’s insistence that Iraq is violating the United Nations resolution.

Guest:

• Robert Fisk, journalist with the British newspaper, The Independent.

Related link:

• The Independent