| 0 |
APW19980306.1001
NEWS STORY
03/06/1998 13:19:00t137
w2188 Cx1f wstm-
u i Cx13 Cx11 BC-Iraq 3rdLd-Writethru 03-06 0642
BC-Iraq, 3rd Ld-Writethru
American Ritter resumes inspections in Iraq
UR Eds: AMs; RECASTS throughout with Ritter inspecting three sensitive
sites; UN quotes QL
UR By LEON BARKHO QC
UR Associated Press Writer QC
| 1 |
BAGHDAD
,
Iraq
(
AP
) _ An American leader of a
U.N.
weapons
inspection team
resumede1
worke2
in
Iraq
Fridayt138
,
nearly two monthst139
afters3
his team was effectively
blockede4
.
| 2 |
Scott Ritter
lede5
his team
ons7
a
10-hourt140
toure6
of
three
suspected
weapons sites classified as ``sensitive'' by the Iraqi authorities,
U.N.
spokesman Alan Dacey
saide9
.
| 3 |
``All sites were
inspectede10
to the satisfaction of the inspection
team and with full
cooperatione11
of Iraqi authorities,''
Dacey
saide12
.
| 4 |
At least one
of the sensitive sites was a barracks of the elite
Republican Guard
, a well-placed source told The
Associated Press
.
| 5 |
Previouslyt1191
the Iraqis have
resistede14
attemptse15
to
inspecte17
such
quarters.
| 6 |
The
U.N. Security Council
has
chargede18
the inspectors with
verifyinge19
that
Iraq
has
destroyede20
its long-range missiles and
weapons of mass destruction.
| 7 |
It was
the first time
that
Ritter
, who
arrivede24
Thursdayt141
with
some 50 inspectors for a
toure25
likely to
laste27
over a weekt143
, had been
allowede28
to
carrye30
out an
inspectione31
sinces254
Jan. 13t1192
.
| 8 |
Then the
Baghdad
government
stoppede32
providinge33
Ritter
's team with
escorts,
makinge35
it impossible for him to
entere37
any site.
| 9 |
Iraq
allegede38
Ritter
was an American spy whose team had a
disproportionately high number of Americans and Britons.
| 10 |
The official
Iraqi News Agency
, which gives the daily tally of
inspections, did not
mentione42
Ritter
by name, but
saide45
Fridayt144
that
team no. 225 _ which
Ritter
heads _
madee48
surprise
visitse49
to a
number of sites and was
assistede50
by aerial surveillance.
| 11 |
Five
other
U.N.
inspection teams
visitede52
a total of
nine
other
sites, the agency
reportede53
.
| 12 |
An Iraqi official,
speakinge54
on customary condition of anonymity,
saide56
Ritter
would not
trye57
to
visite61
any of the
eight
presidential
sites that
Baghdad
had
placede62
off-limits to
U.N.
weapons
inspectors.
| 13 |
The official
saide63
these sites could only be
visitede64
by a special
team of
U.N.
monitors and diplomats as
laide67
down by the
Feb. 23t1193
accord
signede68
by
U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan
and
Iraqi Deputy
Prime Minister Tariq Aziz
.
| 14 |
Ritter
's
returne69
is
seene70
as something of a
teste71
of that
agreement, under which
Iraq
agreede73
to
givee75
inspectors full access
to
eight
of
Saddam Hussein
's presidential palaces.
| 15 |
The
United States
had
movede76
additional troops and a naval armada
into the
Gulf
and
saide77
it would
strikee78
Iraq
unless it gave
the
U.N.
arms inspectors unfettered access to all potential weapons sites,
including
Saddam
's palaces.
| 16 |
Iraq
had
arguede80
the presidential sites
should be
offe162
limits as symbols of sovereignty.
| 17 |
A
Pentagon
spokesman
saide83
Thursdayt146
that the
38,000
U.S.
troops
in the
Gulf
will
remaine84
untils156
Iraq
compliese157
with the
U.N. Security
Council
agreement over weapons inspections.
| 18 |
``We are going to
maintaine88
our forces in the region for the
foreseeable future,''
saide89
spokesman Kenneth Bacon
.
| 19 |
The U.N.-Iraq accord was
workede90
out by
U.N.
Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
, who
appointede91
a retired Indian diplomat
ons158
Thursdayt1194
as
his special representative to
Iraq
.
| 20 |
Prakash Shah,
58
, a former
Indian ambassador to the
United Nations
, is part of an
efforte159
by
Annan
to
expande94
contacts with the Iraqi leadership.
| 21 |
Palace
inspectionse97
are not
expectede98
to
starte101
untils103
the new
agreement's procedures are in
placee161
.
| 22 |
U.N.
officials in
New York
ons397
Fridayt148
finishede106
draftinge107
the rules, in
consultatione108
with Iraqi
diplomats.
| 23 |
The procedures are due to
goe112
before the
Security Council
next weekt150
.
| 24 |
The
Security Council
has
saide113
it will not
lifte114
the sweeping
sanctions
imposede117
on
Iraq
afters119
its
1990t151
invasione118
of
Kuwait
untils120
the
U.N.
inspectors
certifye121
that
Baghdad
has
eliminatede122
its weapons
of mass destruction.
| 25 |
AP-NY-03-06-98 1319EST
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |