Bush administration skeptical of Iraq letter

Bush made his case for an attack against Iraq in a speech to the U.N. last week.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration was dismissive Monday of a new Iraqi pledge to re-admit United Nations weapons inspectors to the country.

"We do not take what Saddam says at face value to begin with," said a senior U.S. official involved in the Iraq deliberations. "And there will be no negotiating. The United Nations will act to lay out the requirements, or we will, but he gets no input."

Despite the skepticism, the official indicated the administration would work with the United Nations.

"We will work with the United Nations and specifically the Security Council on what Iraq will be required to accept," the official said.

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U.S. officials had been anticipating an overture from the Iraqi government.

Two senior officials pointed to President Bush's speech to the U.N. General Assembly last week in which he described a litany of broken Iraqi commitments to the United Nations.

"There are resolutions dealing with repression within Iraq, resolutions dealing with promises to make reparations to Kuwait, resolutions dealing with unaccounted for military personnel -- including an American pilot. If he thinks this is about letting inspectors in, or playing the same old game of give a little when under pressure, he is about to learn differently," a second senior administration official said.

Congress ready to act

White House aides said they expect to talk to key members of Congress this week about language for a resolution backing the president's position on Iraq.

Some Democrats last week raised the prospect of waiting until after the United Nations acts -- and after the November elections -- to consider a resolution on Iraq. But senior administration sources told CNN that Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle called White House Chief of Staff Andy Card on Monday and said he wanted to move forward on the Iraq debate and a resolution as soon as possible.

These sources said they anticipated meetings to discuss proposed language for the resolution this week and action by both the House and Senate within the next two to three weeks, perhaps sooner.