Iraqis to meet UN weapons team

Iraq has been trying to get support from former foes

The chief UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix is meeting Iraqi officials in Vienna, to discuss the return of inspectors to the country.

It comes as America brings intense diplomatic pressure for a new Security Council resolution giving the inspectors even more power.

The talks are expected to last two days and will cover the practicalities of the inspections, which will be the first in four years.

Proposed Timetable

The draft resolution being circulated is believed to propose that Saddam Hussein be given a seven-day deadline to accept the new resolution,

he should have just one month in total to make a full declaration of all weapons of mass destruction.

And, weapons inspections should be allowed to occur at any site and possibly with a military guard.

Breakfast spoke to the BBC's correspondent Peter Biles who is in Vienna. He said:

The big point is will the weapon inspectors have full unconditional access. The talks will centre on the logistical and security issues. It will be practical negotiating, rather than political, it is an important test of Iraqi co-operation, the question is just how far with the background of political pressure from US. The weapons inspectors say if all goes well, the earliest they can get their first reports will be by end of year, or even in the new year, Washington won't like that.

We also talked to Olivia Bosch who used to be a UN weapons inspector. She said:

click here to watch our interview with Olivia Bosch

The preoccupation at the moment is visas, travels, hotels. The timeline at the moment is entry for middle of October. It is dependant on the new draft resolution. The obligation is on Iraq to comply with previous resolution and declare what weapons of mass destruction they have. It is not unreasonable to accept that Iraq will comply especially as the world's eyes is on them. The inspections should be ongoing.

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The Iraqi Government has said it would allow the return of the inspectors - banned for four years - to check the country's capabilities for building nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Mr Blix has held preparatory talks with nuclear experts

The US and Britain have said Iraq is developing such weapons of mass destruction in violation of international law and have warned military action may be necessary.

The weapons inspectors hope to be back in Iraq in two or three weeks, but correspondents say there is scepticism about whether either Iraq or the US want the talks to succeed.

A preliminary session was held in Vienna on Sunday between the UN chief inspector Hans Blix and experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Mr Blix declined to reveal the nature of the talks or his plans for the discussions with Iraq's weapons experts.

The talks are scheduled to concentrate on technical, not political, matters

He told the Reuters news agency: "We have agreed to maintain absolute silence until the talks are over.

"Then we will have something to say."

The BBC's Europe correspondent Tim Franks said the meeting would cover the practicalities of getting inspectors back to Iraq, such as their transport, visas and security.

	:	Iraq Weapons
Iraqi chemical and biological weapons

He said the talks were crucial, but could prove inconclusive as answers may not be forthcoming on how much access inspectors will be allowed to areas inside the extensive presidential compounds or how quickly they might be able to make unannounced visits.

The talks are being held at the Vienna headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency - the organisation which would hunt for evidence of a resumed Iraqi nuclear development programme.

First test

As well as discussing the return to Baghdad, offices in the north and south of Iraq are expected to be requested by Mr Blix, the executive chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission.

The talks are the first test of Iraq's co-operation since Baghdad agreed to the return of the inspectors on 16 September, four days after President Bush outlined his case against Iraq to the UN.

The US and Britain have been trying to get support for a strong resolution against Iraq from their UN Security Council permanent colleagues China, France and Russia.

Key demands

Acceptance of resolution within seven days

Declaration of arms programmes within 30 days

Access for inspectors to all sites

Armed guards to accompany inspectors

Use of military force for any non-compliance

For its part, Iraq sought to rally support from its neighbour and former foe Iran as the threat of military action hung over against Baghdad.

On a visit to Tehran the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri, told Iranian President Mohammad Khatami that US behaviour "is not just a threat to us, but a threat to the Islamic world".

He said there was a consensus in the international community opposing military action against Iraq, which he hoped the US would respect.

And he added that Iraq wanted to restore normal relations with Iran, with whom it fought a long-running war in the 1980s.

President Khatami told Mr Sabri that Iran "is in favour of a region without weapons of mass destruction," the official Irna news agency reported.

Iran has repeatedly expressed its opposition to a US attack, but says it will support UN-led action if inspectors confirm that Baghdad is still developing weapons of mass destruction.