Iraq Insists On Inspection Limits

Iraq's vice president said Wednesday there would be limits on the U.N. weapons investigation, though the top inspector says Baghdad has agreed to unannounced checks even on Saddam Hussein's special sites.

The question of unannounced checks on sites like Saddam's palaces, an issue that helped derail inspections in the 1990s, "is settled by the resolution. It wasn't even discussed," chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said Wednesday after departing Baghdad at the end of a two-day visit inaugurating a new U.N. oversight program, four years after the last inspections.

The Swedish ex-diplomat was referring to the new U.N. Security Council resolution describing the inspections as a "final opportunity" for Iraq to meet its post-Gulf War obligations to give up any weapons of mass destruction. In accepting the resolution, Iraq accepted full and unfettered inspections. President Bush has threatened military action if the Iraqis don't disarm.

On Tuesday, Iraqi presidential adviser Amir al-Saadi confirmed Iraq would meet a U.N. deadline and file by Dec. 8 a comprehensive list of nuclear, chemical and biological programs. But he gave no indication whether the filing will contain anything beyond an inventory of Iraqi work in peaceful uses of nuclear, chemical and biological materials. The Security Council resolution demands the Iraqis include any work in weapons development.

But Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Wednesday that Iraq would fully cooperate with weapons inspectors, but he vowed to prevent them from gathering "intelligence."

"Any demand or question or a manner of work that conforms with the objective of the inspectors who want to verify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction will be met with full cooperation," Ramadan said in an interview from Baghdad with the private Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.

"But for demands which are clearly (meant) for intelligence or for other objectives that have nothing to do with the weapons of mass destruction, we will act in such a way so as to safeguard the country's sovereignty and security," he said.

While Blix claimed the sovereignty issue was not raised, he conceded that Iraqis were "somewhat concerned" they would not have time to gather all the information needed by Dec. 8.

"They had particular concerns about reporting on the peaceful industries, like chemical industry … they have quite a lot of that and they were a bit concerned about how they would go about" compiling information in that area, Blix said.

The Dec. 8 list is the standard by which the international community will judge whether Saddam's government is telling the truth.

Blix and chief U.N. nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei said that if Baghdad cooperates fully with their inspections, they might be able to report in about one year that it has complied with Security Council requirements and U.N. economic sanctions on Iraq should be lifted.

The inspectors had been counting on help in their search from overflights by U.S. spy planes like the U-2 and the unmanned Predator. But CBS News has learned that a dispute has developed over whether aerial intelligence would be provided only to the weapons inspectors or whether U.S. military planners would use it as well. The U.N. is very anxious not to be seen sharing information with American intelligence, as the Iraqis have accused them of in the past.

Blix and ElBaradei left Iraq on Wednesday as scheduled, leaving behind most of the two dozen inspectors and other U.N. staff who had accompanied them. Additional inspectors arrive next Monday, and the first field operations are expected by Nov. 27.

Meanwhile, the United States was contacting allies in search of support if force is required.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, in a speech Wednesday in his capital, said Australian defense officials had held contingency talks with their U.S. counterparts over a possible strike against Baghdad. He did not describe what any Australian contribution might be.

In London, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said Wednesday the United States has requested British troops to join a possible war on Iraq. Hoon said Britain had not yet decided its response.

In Copenhagen on Wednesday, Danish lawmakers approved the participation of Danish soldiers and equipment in any international force in Iraq, if necessary.

Also Wednesday, U.S. warplanes bombed three air defense communications facilities in southern Iraq, a day after Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Washington would immediately respond to attacks on American and British warplanes.