Iraqi foreign minister says U.S., British threat of force 'reckless'

     American and British threats of a military  strike are ``a reckless act,'' Iraq's foreign minister said,  calling for a political solution to the dispute over U.N. weapons  inspections.  

     The minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, said in an interview  late Monday on Qatari television that military action would ``lead  to destabilizing the region.''  

     He called on the U.N. Security Council to respond to Iraq's  demand that a review of Iraq's compliance with U.N. resolutions  that ended the 1991 Persian Gulf War lead to the lifting of  punishing sanctions.  

     Al-Sahhaf said the Security Council should be ``given a genuine  opportunity _ free from all Anglo-Saxon pressures _ to conduct a  comprehensive review of the situation that is acceptable to all  parties.''   

     This, he said, should ``lead us to start the process of lifting  the embargo on Iraq.''  

     ``As for those screaming and threatening the use of force, this  is nothing but a reckless act in the region,'' al-Sahhaf said.