As the UN Security Council prepared to adopt a new resolution on Iraq, the country's media denounced it as just a pretext for "new aggression".

The government mouthpiece newspaper Al-Thawra on Friday adopted a note of caution, saying the new resolution should not be rejected out of hand.

"Ignoring the Security Council resolutions is not in Iraq's interest," it warned.

[The] resolution... can be used as a pretext to commit aggression against Iraq

Al-Thawra, Iraq

"However, by the same token, Iraq does not expect the Security Council to do anything less than take its own rights and interests into account."

Al-Thawra urged the body not "to enter into debates which are far removed from its real role".

Earlier this week, the newspaper accused Washington of seeking a "resolution including texts which can be used as a pretext or cover to commit aggression against Iraq".

The draft resolution was also berated by Babil, the daily owned by Saddam Hussein's son, Uday.

"The US draft is full of hatred and concealed aggressiveness," it said.

"The smell from the contents of the draft says that whatever we have given and whatever we will give, the result will be the same - an aggression."

But, Babil concluded: "We have great confidence that the just members of the Security Council, such as Russia and France, will pay their essential role to prevent the Americans and the British from using the international organisation as a tool to achieve their aggressive goals."

You will now see the extent to which UN Security Council members will stand in the face of US pressure

Saddam Hussein quoted by Iraqi TV

Iraqi TV broadcast remarks denouncing US policies made by Saddam Hussein in an audience with the controversial Austrian politician Joerg Haider during his visit to Baghdad.

"The US objective is to fabricate a pretext to cheat world public opinion in order to attack and destroy our scientific and technological institutions," the TV quoted him as saying.

"You will now see the extent to which UN Security Council members will stand in the face of US pressure," Saddam said.

Wider agenda?

Media in neighbouring countries voiced considerable alarm that an attack on Iraq is just a part of President Bush's wider regional agenda.

Nowhere is that more palpable than in Iran, where fear has been expressed about "anti-Iran conspiracies".

A bid to topple the Islamic regime

Iran's Jomhuri-ye Eslami

The state's news agency Irna quoted Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Reza'i as calling for the Foreign Ministry to "embark on active diplomacy to neutralise anti-Iran conspiracies."

Iran Daily referred to US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's "hostile remarks about Iran this week".

"The rightist politician also hoped 'the day would come when the Islamic system would be toppled'."

The Persian-language Jomhuri-ye Eslami warned that the US is now fomenting "sedition now more than at any other time in a bid to topple the Islamic regime".

"So, the top-ranking officials of the system must be vigilant and get ready to resist this American ploy."

Syrian radio said an attack would cause "chaos" in the Middle East. Syria's pro-government newspaper Al-Thawra meanwhile appealed for the return of weapons inspectors to avert war.

Republican control of the Congress is a catastrophe for the Arabs

Egypt's Al-Akhbar

"The US is drowning the Security Council in Byzantine debates that have revealed its isolation. The Council must maintain the unity of the international stance by returning the inspectors to Baghdad and avoiding war."

Egypt's pro-government newspaper Al-Akhbar said that Mr Bush's mid-term election win spells a "catastrophe" for the region.

It said Washington was seeking "to put its Mid-East house in order".

"It is our right to believe that the Republican control of the Congress is a catastrophe for the Arabs in general and the Palestinian and Iraqi issues in particular."

Jordan's independent pro-government newspaper Al Ra'y said the UN is facing a difficult choice.

"The United Nations is facing probably for the first time since its creation a dangerous turning point which will affect its future following President Bush's declarations that it should choose between an effective UN or a mere League of Nations."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.