UNITED NATIONS, March 10: United Nations weapons inspectors plan to visit Iraqi Presidential sites in the next two weeks along with ``senior diplomats'' under a pact Secretary General Kofi Annan signed with Iraq's deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz recently, officials here said.Officials said yesterday that the visit would be more to test Iraq's intentions than to find something incriminating as Iraq has had sufficient warning of the plan approved by the Security Council.
The inspectors, whose work will coincide with UNSCOM chief Richard Butler's visit to Baghdad, will be accompanied by a team of diplomats, dubbed the ``dignity police'' by the press, headed by Sri Lankan diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala.
The diplomats, chosen by Dhanapala, commissioner of the special group, from a list drawn up by Annan, will ``observe that the provisions of the memorandum of understanding...are being implemented in good faith'' and ``report on any matter they may deem appropriate.''
Officials admitted if the experts failto find anything incriminating in the eight Presidential sites, opened to inspections following Annan's February 23 accord, Baghdad's case for lifting of sanctions would be strengthened.
In that case, both the US and Britain, who are advocating a hardline stance against Baghdad, will come under renewed pressure from Iraq's neighbours, members of the Security Council, and other nations to agree to ease sanctions on Iraq, they said.
The search operations, the first after Annan's accord with Iraqi leaders, to the eight Presidential sites, are expected to lay the groundwork for future inspections of these sites, UN officials said. At least two diplomats will accompany the inspectors, who shall ``conduct itself in a manner consonant with the nature of the site. It will take into consideration any observations that the Iraqi representative may wish to make regarding entry.''
Officials said Dhanapala's preference would be for diplomats stationed in Baghdad to keep the element of surprise. Significantly, theUnited States and Britain, who have also been asked by Annan to nominate diplomats, do not have any in Baghdad.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
