The UN arms inspection head Hans Blix today said the purpose of United Nations arms inspections in Iraq was to avoid a war that is not inevitable.
"Inspections are a chance for the Iraqi government and that'swhat the Security Council has said," said Blix before departing forCyprus on his last stop before arriving in the Iraqi capital onMonday with an advance team of inspectors.
Asked whether a war against Iraq was inevitable, Blix replied:"No, it's not."
"We know what we have to do in Baghdad and we prepared ourselvesfor it," said the head of the UN Monitoring, Verification andInspection Commission (UNMOVIC).
He said he hoped to meet with members of the Iraqi government onMonday after he arrives in Baghdad with International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) director general Mohamed El Baradei.
"It's an important mission and we have a heavy agenda ahead ofus," said Blix, who was due to arrive in Larnaca this afternoonto visit UNMOVIC's rear base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. AFP