Weapons inspectors demand unrestricted access
Staking out a tough position, UN weapons inspectors today opened talks with Iraq over a return to Baghdad by holding Saddam Hussein to his pledge of unfettered access to suspect sites.
Chief inspector Hans Blix said at the Vienna headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency that the talks would operate under the assumption that nothing in Iraq – including Saddam’s palaces – will be off-limits to inspectors hunting for nuclear, biological and chemical weaponry.
“The purpose of the talks is that if and when inspections come about, we will not have clashes inside” over what the inspectors will do, Blix said.
“We’d rather go through these things outside in advance.”
Both sides will discuss “practical arrangements” with the Iraqis for inspections, he said, such as where the inspectors would be based, their accommodations and security, and how samples would be taken out of the country for analysis. Blix said he would report back to the UN Security Council on Thursday.
After almost three hours of talks, chief IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky called the atmosphere “businesslike” and said the discussions were “very thorough.”
“We’re moving along nicely,” he said. “They’re all aware of the importance that there be no misunderstandings.”
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the success of a new weapons inspection mission would hinge on Saddam’s promise of full cooperation.
Nearly four years ago, inspectors hunting for evidence of nuclear, biological and chemical weaponry withdrew from Iraq on the eve of US-British air strikes amid allegations that Baghdad wasn’t co-operating with the teams.
