The United Nations said today its arms inspectors remained ready to return to Baghdad at short notice despite a delay caused by Security Council talks on a new US-drafted resolution on Iraq.
Last week, UN inspectors agreed with Iraqi arms experts on the logistics of a return, four years after inspectors left in December 1998.
The inspectors had planned to return in mid-October but decided to hold off until the UN Security Council made a decision on the United States's tough draft resolution on Iraq.
Mr Mark Gwozdecky, spokesman for the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said: "The delay affects the logistics of our return in that we're not making flight reservations yet. But we've had a resumption plan for a long time and are continuing our preparations for the return".
The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, whose staff will search for chemical, biological and ballistic weapons, is also ready, with 50 inspectors starting a month-long training course in Vienna today.
The United States and Britain accuse Iraq of acquiring or seeking to acquire nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and are pushing for a UN resolution allowing use of force if Iraq fails to co-operate with intrusive inspections.
Baghdad has repeatedly rejected the allegations.