US President George W Bush said tonight that Iraq's weapons report, which the US says puts Baghdad in material breach of UN demands, disappointed 'those who long for peace.'
'We're serious about keeping the peace, we're serious about working with our friends in the United Nations' to disarm Iraq, Mr Bush said as he met with US partners in the effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
'Yesterday was a disappointing day for those who long for peace,' he said.
Mr Bush has vowed to lead a 'coalition of the willing' to strip Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction if Baghdad will not disarm peacefully.
'We will fulfill the terms and conditions of (UN Security Council Resolution) 1441,' he said. 'The world spoke clearly that we expect Mr Saddam Hussein to disarm.'
The President said Iraq's 12,000-page report on its weapons programs was not encouraging.
'We expected him to show that he would disarm and, as the Secretary of State said, it is a long way from there.'
However, Iraq's ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Al-Douri, insisted the dossier was accurate and complete and said there were other agendas.
Bush supporter Lott forced to quit
Senator Trent Lott resigned as Republican Senate leader today following comments that stirred a race controversy.
Lott, 61, leader since 1996, was trying to survive a racially charged furore he triggered on 5 December at a 100th birthday party for retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.
Lott said the nation would have been better off if it had elected Thurmond as president in 1948, when he ran as a backer of racial segregation.
President Bush rebuked Lott last week, but the White House had repeatedly said it did not believe he should step down unilaterally. He had been challenged by Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee for the post of Senate majority leader.
