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Iraq Invites Chief Weapons Inspectors to Baghdad - 2003-03-15


Iraq has invited chief UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to visit Baghdad at the "earliest possible date" to examine outstanding disarmament questions.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry made the announcement Saturday, saying the invitation was made by Saddam Hussein's science adviser Lieutenant General Amer al-Saadi -- Iraq's point man on disarmament.

An Iraqi official said the aim of the visit is to examine ways to accelerate cooperation between Iraq and the weapons inspectors in all areas. The official said this would include clarifying any outstanding questions the inspectors have.

Earlier Saturday, Iraq destroyed three more banned missiles under U-N supervision, one day after it submitted a long-awaited report to the United Nations on the deadly nerve gas VX.

A UN official said the Al-Samoud-Two missiles were destroyed today at the Taji military base, 20 kilometers north of Baghdad. The missiles are illegal because they exceed the United Nations acceptable range of 150 kilometers.

The Iraqi government began destroying the banned missiles on March first under threat of being forced to disarm by the United States and Britain. So far, 68 of Baghdad's approximately 100 Al-Samoud-Two missiles have been crushed.

On Friday, the Iraqis delivered a long-promised report to the United Nations detailing what Baghdad says was the disposal of its stockpile of deadly V-X nerve agent after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Baghdad says a similar report on its anthrax stockpile will follow soon -- possibly next week.

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