The chief United Nations weapons experts
are set to brief the Security Council today on their findings after the
first 60 days of inspections in Iraq.
Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the
UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed
ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
will each present a report of their activities to an open briefing of the
Council, set to get underway at 10:30 a.m.
Responding to questions upon his arrival at the UN complex in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan recalled that last week Mr. Blix and Mr. ElBaradei travelled to Baghdad to convey to senior Iraqi officials what is expected of them. "They expect a more proactive engagement and I hope the Iraqis will do what the inspectors have asked them to do," said Mr. Annan, who will attend the Council briefing.
Asked about giving the UN inspectors more time, the Secretary-General said that today's briefing would provide the Security Council with the facts to enable it to determine how to proceed next. "If they do need time, they should be given the time to do their work," he said. "I'm not saying forever, but they do need time to get their work done, and I suspect the Council will allow for that time to be done." MORE TO FOLLOW