United Nations, Feb 14: UN secretary general Kofi Annan has decided to send a team to map the presidential sites which have been declared off limits to UN weapons inspectors.After his second inconclusive meeting with ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Annan told newspersons that the team would go to Baghdad this weekend and take three or four days to finish its work.
That would suggest that Annan, who has been under considerable pressure from France and Russia to visit Iraq, could go to Baghdad towards the end the of next week at the earliest, observers here said.
Annan, who will meet the "Big Five" again on Monday, did not say if he would definitely go to Iraq but indicated that the whole exercise is meant to pave the way for his mission.
The meeting showed that the Security Council members are prepared to work together which could ultimately lead to his visiting Iraq, Annan said.
In a brief statement, he said, "Large areas of common ground emerged but discussionswill continue." He did not elaborate and declined to take questions on the subject.
Russia is strongly urging Annan to go to Baghdad to take personal charge of the negotiations but Annan seems reluctant to go unless there is some assurance of an agreement emerging.
Annan said he is "fully prepared" to go to Baghdad if the five agree on the basic elements of a settlement and Iraq is prepared to work with "us".
The technical team has been constituted apparently on the suggestion of France which wants the sites to be fully mapped so that all sides agree to the dimension and location of the sites declared off limit. Differences exist between members over who would be included in inspections of the palaces. Russia, France and China want Annan to name a new team of inspectors but the Untied States and Britain insist the work be done by the inspectors of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM).
The United States and Britain argue that UNSCOM has developed special skills to ferret out weapons and knowthe techniques used by Iraq to hide them. However, should Annan name a new team, it would dilute the authority of UNSCOM, whom Iraq has often charged with being partisan.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
