Iraq signals further UN co-operation

Inspectors have made more than 50 visits so far

Iraq says it is preparing a list of government scientists UN inspectors may wish to interview in their mission to track down any weapons of mass destruction.

However a senior Iraqi official said there had been no formal request from the UN yet to provide names of those involved in biological, chemical and nuclear programmes - although the matter had been raised verbally.

The Iraqi side has shown cooperation, there hasn't been any problem

Iraqi liaison chief

Under the terms of the UN resolution which took inspectors back to Iraq, they are allowed to interview scientists - and if necessary take them and their families out of Iraq.

The debriefing of Iraqi scientists is one of the most sensitive issues at the heart of the current crisis, the BBC's Rageh Omaar in Baghdad says.

At a news conference to review the results of the current UN mission, the head of Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate, General Hussam Mohammed Amin, said the authorities were satisfied with the "professionalism" of the inspectors so far.

Gaining momentum

Speaking after teams had embarked on another day of visits, he said the Iraqi side "has shown co-operation" and there had not been any "problem" with the inspectors.

"So far, we are content."

Baghdad has accused past weapons inspectors of spying and dishonesty during missions which ended in 1998, when UN teams left after complaining of prolonged obstruction.

Amin: Previous inspectors "asked silly questions"

The new inspectors have swelled in number and stepped up their visits after a slow start two weeks ago.

A spokesman for the teams said they targeted seven sites on Thursday, including a missile testing facility near Ramadi 110 km (65 miles) west of Baghdad, and a mould and tool plant in a south-western Baghdad suburb.

According to the final report by the former Unscom team, the latter site was in the past used to produce missiles based on Soviet-designed Scuds.

'Ridiculous' VX claims

General Amin, who is in charge of liaising with the inspectors, said Baghdad was not concealing any weapons of mass destruction or Scud missiles.

"Of course, we have no Scud missiles. Absolutely. And this fact is valid since the summer of 1991, OK?" he told the Baghdad news conference.

He also brushed aside a US press report suggesting that militants linked to al-Qaeda had obtained deadly VX nerve agent from Iraq.

"This is really a ridiculous assumption from the American administration."