Iraq
to Permit U-2 Surveillance for Inspections
New York, Feb. 10 2003 (VOA News) -- Iraq's ambassador
to the United Nations says Baghdad has accepted U.N.
weapons inspectors' demands to use surveillance planes
over the entire country to aid the inspection process.
Iraqi
Ambassador Mohammed al-Douri says Iraq will permit
U.N. inspectors to use American-made U-2 surveillance
planes, a key demand of U.N. weapons inspectors.
The
comments follow a visit to Baghdad by chief U.N. inspectors
Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei.
Both
inspectors said after their talks in Baghdad that
they see signs of a possible change in attitude on
the part of Iraq. Iraqi officials turned over additional
documents to the chief inspectors and promised to
fulfill other demands.
But
White House Spokesman Scott McClellan dismissed the
Iraqi announcement on the surveillance planes, saying
the bottom line for President Bush is disarmament.
He said "this does nothing to change the bottom
line." He said that, although the Iraqis claimed
there are no conditions attached, the Bush administration
remains skeptical.
While
the inspection teams are continuing their search for
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, Mr. Blix
and Mr. ElBaradei are to present a progress report
on the inspection process to the U.N. Security Council
later this week.
Secretary
of State Colin Powell said Sunday that, after the
report, the Security Council, which remains divided
on the issue, will have to consider its next step,
which could include a resolution authorizing military
action against Iraq.
Meanwhile,
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for discussions
in the Security Council on Thursday on humanitarian
contingency planning for Iraq.
Most
of the humanitarian planning for the consequences
of a possible war is taking place in Geneva, where
the Swiss government will host an international conference
beginning Saturday of governments and aid agencies.
--
Jenny Badner
- Voice of America at the United Nations
-- Reprinted with the
permission of Voice of America
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