UN, Iraq reopen talks

After a two-and-a-half-hour session, aimed at working out details of UN’s return, UN and Iraqi delegations broke for lunch and were to resume their meeting at 5.30 pm IST. ‘‘The atmosphere is businesslike … We are moving along nicely,’’ said Mark Gwozdecky, a spokesman for the UN’s Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is hosting the talks.

On the topic of the tough new US-British draft resolution that threatens military action unless Iraq disarms and that rewrites the ground rules for the inspectors, Gwozdecky said inspectors would abide by any resolution that was passed.

‘‘If the Security Council decides to issue a new directive or resolution, of course we will follow that,’’ he said. ‘‘In the meantime, we have these practical arrangements that we need to see eye-to-eye on with the Iraqis.’’

Gwozdecky said that even if the Security Council passed the new US draft resolution, UN inspectors and Baghdad would still need to agree on the practical arrangements for their return: accommodation, security, communications and other issues.

Asked if there would be any limitations on sites open to inspectors, Blix said, ‘‘No, not that I’m aware of,’’ he said. Monday’s talks are the first test of Iraq’s cooperation since Baghdad agreed on September 16 to the unconditional return of the inspectors.

‘‘We would like to ensure that if and when inspections come about, we will not have any clashes inside (Iraq). We would rather have these things outside, in advance,’’ Blix said. The Vienna talks come against a backdrop of increasingly strong words from US President George Bush and British PM Tony Blair, who accuse Iraq of amassing weapons of mass destruction.

On Sunday, Blair said he could not rule out an attack against Iraq even if the UN refused to back it. Blair’s comments came as Washington and London stepped up diplomatic efforts to push through the US-drafted resolution, to which China, Russia and France — which have the power of veto on the Security Council — have reacted coldly.

With the threat of war hanging in the air, Gwozdecky said all parties were aware of the importance of minimising any possibility of disagreements. On the touchy issue of access to President Saddam Hussein’s palaces, Blix said he did not expect them to be off limits.

‘‘There is an agreement about that subject at the present time. It is in force at the present time,’’ Blix said. Members of the Iraqi delegation, led by Saddam’s technical adviser General Amir al-Saadi, have declined to comment. (Reuters)