UN inspections for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq could take about a year to complete, a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said this morning.
IAEA spokesman Mr Mark Gwozdecky said chief UN weapons inspector Mr Hans Blix and IAEA head Mr Mohamed El Baredei had made it clear the inspections could take "in the vicinity of a year".
"Dr Blix and El Baradei made it very clear as late as last spring that this is an operation that could take in the vicinity of a year and frankly we think it is worth to wait to get a sustainable and long-term peaceful solution.
"It is a far better option to wait a little bit longer than to resort to war," he said. He added Iraq was "a big country" and the longer arms inspectors were there, the more likely it was that they would find something.
He said the UN Security Council had given the inspectors unanimous support, saying: "They are willing to give us the time that we need".
Mr Blix and Mr El Baradei are due to travel to Baghdad next weekend to confront Iraqi officials over what they say are big gaps in Iraq's arms declaration that it does not have any weapons of mass destruction.
They told the Security Council last week that although searches in Iraq so far had not uncovered "smoking guns", or hard evidence, Baghdad had left a "great many questions" unanswered.
Washington has signalled that if Iraq does not provide satisfactory answers, this could be deemed non-co-operation under UN resolutions and lead to war.
UN officials have expressed dismay that Iraqi minders have accompanied all scientists interviewed so far, and Mr Blix said last week that Baghdad had not cleared up issues such as chemical bombs, VX nerve gas and the importation of missile engines.
Iraq said on Sunday it was co-operating with UN searches. It also said two scientists interviewed by inspectors last month had refused to leave the country for further interviews.