UN steps up Iraq preparations

The load of 20 metric tons of computer equipment and communications gear was flown in from the Cyprus headquarters of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Agency (Unmovic) that is responsible for overseeing Iraq's disarmament.

Eighteen weapons inspectors are scheduled to arrive Monday and inspections are expected to resume on Wednesday.

About 33 UN technical staff have been in Baghdad since Monday making logistical preparations.

Unmovic has recruited about 200 inspectors to carry out duties in Iraq, between 80 to 100 of them to be posted in the county at any one time.

Iraq has until 8 December 2002 to disclose details of its alleged weapons of mass destruction programmes under the terms of a UN resolution passed earlier this month.

The resolution also requires Baghdad to make a declaration of "all other chemical, biological, and nuclear programmes", including non-military programmes.

Iraq pledged to co-operate fully with Unmovic during a recent visit to Baghdad by chief UN inspector Hans Blix.

New air strikes

As preparations are intensified ahead of a resumption of arms inspections, the United States says Western planes bombed a mobile radar system in southern Iraq on Saturday.

In a statement, the US Central Command said the raid was directed against facilities at al-Amarah, about 260 kilometres south-east of Baghdad and inside the Western-declared no-fly zone.

It said the action went ahead after the Iraqis moved radar equipment on site which could provide tracking and guidance for surface-to-air missiles.

Four year absence

United Nations arms inspectors, working for the defunct body Unscom, were last in Iraq four years ago, ridding the country of weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles under the 1991 ceasefire agreement after the Gulf war.

The resumption of inspections is backed by new Security Council resolution 1441 which demands that Iraq gives up any weapons of mass destruction or face "serious consequences".

If at any point the inspectors believe Iraq is obstructing their work, or that Iraq is in "material breach" of the resolution they can report back to the UN. At this point, the Security Council will reconvene.

The United States maintains that Iraq is concealing weapons of mass destruction and has adopted to a policy of "regime change" which seeks the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by direct military means if necessary.