Official newspapers in Iraq have strongly criticised American and British responses to Baghdad's offer of talks on resuming United Nations weapons inspections which have been halted since 1998.

They called for the UN to stand up to US "aggressiveness" and accused the US of using the disarmament issue to achieve "evil colonial goals".

The comments came a day before the United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss Iraq's offer.

UN arms inspectors left before the 1998 bombing campaign

The US has scorned Baghdad's proposal, insisting that its policy towards Iraq - including the removal of Saddam Hussein as leader - has not changed as a result.

The US believes Saddam Hussein is developing weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi proposal comes as speculation mounts that it may attack Iraq.

'Not interested in disarmament'

Washington's rejection of the invitation "demonstrated a hostile attitude that has nothing to do with the results of the UN or the issue of the return of the inspectors", said al-Thawra, the paper of Iraq's ruling Baath party.

"I would talk less and plan more

US Senator Joseph Biden

It urged representatives of the UN Security Council - which is due to discuss the issue this week - and all UN members to "stand up to this destructive, aggressive American tendency and strongly back Iraq's new initiative.

Babel, the paper run by Saddam Hussein's son Uday, said that there could be no disarmament without inspections.

The American-British position towards the Iraqi move "proves that what they are trying to achieve has nothing to do with inspections or non-existent weapons of mass destruction", it said.

"They are trying to hide behind a worn-out curtain of false claims to achieved despised colonial goals that are rejected by the international community," Babel said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday accused the Iraqi leader of trying to stall for time, saying that disarmament rather than inspections were the issue.

Likelihood of war

In his first public response to the Iraqi offer on Saturday, US President George W Bush said nothing had changed in his policy towards Iraq.

"I'm a patient man. I'll use all the tools at our disposal to make sure Iraq cannot develop weapons of mass destruction and threaten the United States," he said.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Joseph Biden, said he believes there probably will be war with Iraq.

However Mr Biden, a Democrat who chaired last week's hearings on policy on Iraq last week, urged the building of support at home and abroad, advising that there should be less talk and more planning.

Britain's response to the Iraqi move was muted, with the Foreign Office saying Saddam Hussein had a history of "playing games" and that Iraq must allow UN weapons inspectors "unfettered access".

The UN Secretary General has given the proposal for technical talks in Baghdad a cautious welcome, but said it was at odds with Security Council procedures.

UN weapons inspectors were withdrawn from Baghdad on the eve of a US and British bombing campaign in 1998 after prolonged wrangling over access and co-operation.