By Roger Hardy BBC Middle East analyst

The Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Tariq Aziz, has said Iraq is ready to consider the return of UN weapons inspectors as part of what he calls a "comprehensive solution" to the stand-off with America.

Mr Aziz was speaking after talks with the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

With much of the world opposed to an attack on Iraq and with mixed messages coming from Washington, the Iraqi Government senses a moment of diplomatic opportunity.

Its aim is to exploit the widely shared anxieties about an American attack - and paint America as the aggressor.

Sticking-point

But the problem for the Iraqis is that most of those who have misgivings about a war are in favour of the return of the UN weapons inspectors to Iraq after an absence of nearly four years.

Aziz has called for a "comprehensive solution"

On this score the Iraqi Government is not making any clear commitment - instead, sticking to its familiar call for a "comprehensive solution".

What that means is that Iraq will co-operate with the UN only if the Americans back off from their threat of attack.

That is not going to happen.

And Kofi Annan will have told Tariq Aziz he has no mandate to negotiate any such deal.

Pretext for action

He may, however, also have told him the Americans are under a lot of pressure to take the issue to the UN Security Council.

The US has accused Iraq of developing weapons of mass destruction

Should that happen, all sides would try to use the UN to their advantage.

Those who are against a war would present the return of weapons inspectors as an alternative to military action.

Their opponents would see it as providing a possible pretext for military action.

For the moment the Iraqis prefer ambiguity - but that may not be a position they can maintain indefinitely.