An Iraqi presidential adviser sent a letter today to top United Nations weapons inspectors saying Baghdad was ready to remove all obstacles to a return of UN inspectors after a nearly four-year break.
The letter was addressed to both chief UN weapons inspector Mr Hans Blix and to Mr Mohamed El Baradei, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency which is responsible for nuclear weapons inspections.
"We assert our complete readiness once again to receive the advance team (of UN inspectors) on October 19th as per our preliminary agreement with you, and our readiness to resolve all issues that may block the road to our joint cooperation," General Amir al-Saadi said in the letter.
The new letter merely acknowledged the UN's desire for unfettered access to President Saddam Hussein's eight palace sites. Under the 1998 agreement between the UN and Iraq, escorts are required to visit these sites and surprise inspections are forbidden.
"Regarding the presidential sites, we have taken note of your position," al-Saadi said in the letter.