Iraq Developments

Key developments Thursday in the Iraq crisis:

The United Nations advised relief workers on leave from jobs in Iraq not to return because of concerns over a possible U.S. military strike.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Saeed al-Sahhaf described his country’s offer to open eight presidential complexes for two months to new weapons inspectors selected by the U.N. secretary-general as “red lines” that “Baghdad cannot cross.”

British pilots deployed on the HMS Invincible in the Persian Gulf intensified training. Britain dispatches a second aircraft carrier.

Russia’s defense minister lectured Defense Secretary William Cohen, describing America’s stand as “rigid and uncompromising.”

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the ultimate aim of the United States is to remove Saddam Hussein as president of Iraq, but not with U.S. combat troops.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan admitted diplomacy has a long way to go before a peaceful solution can be found. Annan met for 90 minutes Wednesday with the ambassadors of the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain to discuss various proposals to solve the crisis.

The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales said he has concerns about the wisdom of a military strike against Iraq. “I must confess to having strong doubts personally whether it is possible to identify a specific military objective which stands a good chance of being secured by the use of force without causing disproportionate harm,” Cardinal Basil Hume said in a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince urged Saddam to listen to the “voice of reason” and spare Iraqi civilians the punishment of a U.S. military strike.

A U.N. official said that inspectors visited some of Saddam’s palaces in the past without Iraqi interference. Nils Carlstrom, the chief of U.N. inspectors in Baghdad, did not say how many palaces his inspectors were able to enter, but he indicated at least one was outside Baghdad.