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Inspecting Iraq

Annan to seek U.N. approval on weapons deal

Annan

March 9, 1998
Web posted at: 11:36 a.m. EST (1636 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to start seeking formal Security Council approval for his weapons inspection deal with Iraq on Monday, the same day that Iraq's foreign minister was to push U.N. officials to expand Iraqi relief.

Annan was to circulate the plan to missions of the 15 members of the Security Council on Monday and send a top official to Baghdad to lay groundwork for later inspections. Council members were expected to discuss the plan later in the week

The weapons inspection deal, signed by Annan and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz last month, seeks to open sensitive sites to inspection teams. In it, Iraq committed itself to full cooperation with UNSCOM arms inspections, and pledged to open eight presidential compounds to a special committee that will include U.N. diplomats and inspectors.

Annan said he also planned to submit to the Security Council a proposal to appoint a Russian as deputy chief of weapons inspections. Russia has been sympathetic to Iraq's demands that economic sanctions be ended.

Annan, Aziz sign weapons inspection deal last month

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson says he will veto the idea unless it is endorsed by the chief inspector, Richard Butler.

Under Annan's agreement, the inspectors will be accompanied by diplomats to make sure that Iraq's national sovereignty is respected. On Monday, the U.N.'s top disarmament official, Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, was to leave New York for Baghdad to prepare for the inspections. Dhanapala was expected to meet with Baghdad-based diplomats who will accompany the inspectors.

Meanwhile, Iraq's foreign minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, was to also begin talks at U.N. headquarters Monday on expanding the amount of oil Iraq can sell to buy food and medicine for its impoverished people.

Al-Sahhaf's talks at U.N. headquarters on Monday will address an offer by the Security Council to double the amount of oil sales to $5.2 billion that it will allow Iraq.

Iraq says it cannot meet that target because its oil industry is in disrepair after more than seven years of sanctions.

Ritter team completes round of inspections

Meanwhile, U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, barred from work in Iraq two months ago in a move that led the United States to prepare for military strikes on Iraq, took a break Monday after completing a 20-hour round of inspections in several sites, including two that the United Nations described as "sensitive."

There was no word on exactly where Ritter was working. Sensitive sites include military and intelligence installations and some ministry buildings, where the U.N. arms inspectors believe Iraq may still be concealing material related to banned weapons.

Ritter's mission was the first test of the pledge made to Annan last month to give UNSCOM inspectors unrestricted access anywhere in Iraq.

The inspectors must certify that Iraq has destroyed its biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and long-range missiles before punishing trade sanctions are lifted. The sanctions were imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Reuters contributed to this report.

CNN/Time Impact:

• Inside UNSCOM: The Inspectors' Story

Newsmaker profiles:

• Kofi Annan - U.N. Secretary General
• Saddam Hussein - Iraqi President

Related stories:

• Iraqi inspections proceed in 'normal' manner - March 7, 1998
• Ritter back at work in Baghdad - March 6, 1998
• Ritter-led inspectors return to Iraq - March 5, 1998
• Sources: No Brits, Americans to be on diplomatic team in Iraq - March 4, 1998

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