IRAQ: Iraqi arms experts and UN weapons inspectors have struck a deal about resuming work in Baghdad, with an advance team of inspectors expected to arrive in Iraq in around two weeks.
Senior UN officials said the deal was struck as the Iraqi delegation, under pressure from the threat of a US-led military attack, made a show of good faith by handing over long overdue information about their nuclear facilities.
"The Iraqi representatives declared that Iraq accepts all rights of inspection provided for in all the relevant Security Council resolutions," the chief UN weapons inspector, Mr Hans Blix, told reporters after the meeting.
The deal emerged after two days of talks at the United Nations in Vienna aimed at returning inspectors to Baghdad for the first time since 1998.
Mr Blix said there was a "big difference" in Iraq's willingness to co-operate compared to 1998.
But he said the deal did not change existing special rules on access to Iraq's presidential palaces, which Washington wants to abolish in a toughly worded new draft resolution on Iraq that threatens the use of force if it fails to co-operate.
"On the question of access, it was clarified that all sites are subject to immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access. However, the memorandum of understanding of 1998 establishes special procedures for access to eight presidential sites," Mr Blix said.
Asked why he expected inspectors to get full access to suspected arms sites after past difficulties, he said the Iraqis had assured him they would co-operate fully, although this would be put to the test when inspectors returned.
"I think that . . . has to be tested when we go back to Iraq. We need to make sure we are making full use of our rights," he said, adding that they still planned to return in mid-October.
The Iraqi delegation leader, President Saddam Hussein's technical adviser, Mr Amir al-Saadi, said he was happy with the agreement and that the talks had been businesslike and focused.
He also said Baghdad would ensure that sensitive locations like the defence and interior ministries - not covered under the agreement on the presidential palaces - were open to inspectors and that they got speedy access to the sites.
"We will take the measures that will cancel the need for a waiting period and getting approval," he said.
As promised, the Iraqi delegation handed over four CDs which they said contained long-overdue information on the status of so-called dual-use nuclear equipment that could be used to build nuclear weapons as well as for civilian purposes.
Mr Blix said the data had not yet been analysed, but that it would help them choose initial inspection sites.
One of the major sticking points in the Vienna talks had been the issue of reconnaissance flights over the no-fly zones, where the United States and Britain have carried out bombing raids in recent days and which Iraq views as a war zone.
While the Iraqis said they would take all possible measures to ensure the safety of inspectors, they made no promises.
"Iraq could not provide full guarantees about safety in the no-fly zones," said Mr Blix.
The Vienna talks were the first test of Iraq's cooperation since Baghdad agreed on September 16th to the unconditional return of the inspectors under threat of a US military strike.