*EPF505 01/31/2003
Nothing New In Iraqi Invitation to Inspectors, Negroponte Says
(Ambassador does not see new attitude in Baghdad) (320)

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Iraq's invitation to the chief U.N. weapons inspectors to visit Baghdad before their next report to the U.N. Security Council appears to be part of an old pattern, not an indication of any Iraqi change of attitude, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said January 31.

On January 30 Iraq proposed that Hans Blix, the head of the U.N. Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), return to Baghdad for more talks aimed at bolstering "cooperation and transparency," according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. Iraq suggested the meetings take place before February 10.

Blix and ElBaradei are scheduled to make another interim report to the U.N. Security Council on February 14. Their most recent report to the Security Council was a 60-day report as required by resolution 1441 on January 27. The two inspectors last visited Baghdad January 19 and 20, but the talks failed to clear up two major issues: the U.N.'s use of U-2 reconnaissance flights and private interviews with Iraqi scientists.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is to meet with the Security Council February 5 to provide U.S. gathered information and intelligence on Iraqi's weapons of mass destruction programs, efforts to hide them, and links to terrorism.

In Vienna ElBaradei said that he is considering the Iraqi invitation.

Talking with journalists outside the Security Council, Negroponte said "we certainly don't see anything new in this invitation."

"My first reaction would be that this is a tactic of some sort that does not represent any fundamental change in their basic approach to the inspections and to resolution 1441, which has been one of non-cooperation in every respect," the ambassador said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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