UNITED NATIONS, September 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Egypt and Jordan, key allies of the United States in the Middle East, Tuesday, September 17, 2002, dismissed the U.S. call for a tough new Security Council resolution on Iraq. Russia, meanwhile, delayed discussion at the UN Security Council of Iraq's offer to allow the return of weapons inspectors, news agencies reported.

"After the letter by the Iraqi government, I see no need for another Security Council resolution," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We see no reason to go to the Security Council now except to register this agreement," Maher said.

For his part, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher concurred, saying the Iraqi was "a very positive step in the right direction."

He added, "I believe the tension has been defused. I think the letter is clear and I think we should take it at face value."

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States would push for another Council resolution despite the Iraqi move.

U.S. officials, however, said Washington wanted a new text which would "catalogue the sins of (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein" and spell out clearly the consequences he would face if he failed to comply with the Security Council's demands.

Another key player, Russia, said it did not want Iraq discussed until after a meeting expected Thursday, September 19, in Washington between Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Powell, diplomatic sources told AFP.

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia has the power of veto over any resolution.

"Thanks to our joint efforts, we managed to avert the threat of a war scenario and go back to political means of solving the Iraqi problem," Ivanov told Russian media in New York.

"It is essential in the coming days to resolve the issue of the inspectors' return. For this, no new (Security Council) resolutions are needed," ITAR-TASS quoted him as saying.

"To allay the concerns of the world community, we need the involvement of the inspectors. Their return is the key task," Ivanov added.

The Security Council met on Tuesday morning for the first time since Iraq, facing mounting international pressure, agreed to allow the "unconditional" return of inspectors, were withdrawn in 1998, on the eve of U.S.-British air strikes on the country.

However, the Council's agenda was dominated by events in West Africa and Burundi.

In a separate related development, the makeup of the new United Nations arms inspectorate to Iraq differs significantly from the controversial team it replaced.

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) has a professional-grade staff of 58 at its New York headquarters and will draw from a roster of 230 experts to carry out its inspections, AFP reported.

Aware that members of the former UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) were accused of spying for the United States, UNMOVIC chairman Hans Blix built a team with a wide geographical background.

He also insisted that the inspectors work on contract to the United Nations, rather than seconded from Defense Ministries and other government departments. The chief inspectors will be drawn from headquarters staff.