WORLD CAPITALS, October 8 (News Agencies) - World leaders called Tuesday, October 8, on Iraq to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors, following a prime-time speech by U.S. President George W. Bush, in which he tried to persuade critics of his hardline Iraq policy of the need to launch war on Iraq.

Germany reacted Tuesday to Bush's call to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by urging the U.N. Security Council to unite to get weapons inspectors back into Iraq, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer did not respond directly to the speech, but referred instead to the U.N. Security Council.

It was of "central importance," Fischer said, "that the Security Council forms one view and creates the basis for inspectors to be able to begin their work immediately, and on this basis to prevent a great tragedy."

He said it was also the duty of Baghdad to fulfill its obligations under U.N. resolutions to allow the inspectors to carry out their work without any preconditions.

Germany has strongly opposed a U.S. war on Iraq, refusing to join in even if there were a U.N. mandate for it, angering Washington.

But Fischer, who still maintains good relations in Washington even if German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is not on speaking terms with Bush, did not repeat that anti-war stance this time.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher insisted on the need for U.N. weapons inspectors to resume their mission in Iraq as soon as possible, after meeting with his British counterpart Jack straw.

"Rewriting the rules in the middle of the game may not be the best solution," Maher said. "The important thing is to resume the work of the inspectors as soon as possible."

"We have to work on the assumption that the Iraqi government is willing and will continue to be willing to let the inspectors in the country," he added.

The inspectors' mission is currently on hold while the United States and Britain wrangle with the other three permanent members of the U.N. Security Council over a tough new resolution on Iraq.

Washington is seeking a resolution providing for the automatic use of force if Iraq is deemed not to be cooperating with the inspectors, while France in particular wants any military action to be decided later.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said Tuesday that Bush is seeking to justify a military strike on Iraq by tricking the world over Baghdad's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Bush's latest speech repeated "tricks and clear falsifications with the aim of justifying his military campaign against Iraq," Sabri told AFP on his arrival in Qatar on the last stop of a tour of three Gulf states.

Satellite photos the White House released depicting three factories in Iraq as part of the country's alleged nuclear- and chemical-weapons programs were part of the "baseless documents previously put forward by Iraq's enemies," Sabri said.

China said Tuesday it was "in close contact and consultation" with other countries on the question of Iraq, but refused to comment on the latest U.S. warning that Baghdad should disarm immediately or face attack.

China had "seen" coverage of Bush's speech Monday night, but its position on the issue remained "very clear": United Nations weapons inspectors should immediately return to Iraq, foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a regular briefing.

Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said Tuesday that Bush's latest speech on Iraq made him think there was no urgent need to launch military action against the country.

Mussa, whose 22-member League opposes an invasion of Iraq, said: "There is no urgent need to launch a military action against Iraq," Mussa told reporters after meeting with visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, on a regional tour to lobby support for a tough line against Iraq.

Bush conceded the U.S. Congress backing he is seeking to authorize the use of force "does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable."

Mussa said that he interpreted this to mean the question "still depends on the return of [U.N. weapons] inspectors" after a four-year absence from Iraq.