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UN inspectors seek free access to Iraqi sites
Vienna, Oct 01: Gearing up for a return to Iraq, UN weapons inspectors pressed a delegation from Baghdad for free access to so-called `sensitive sites` where Saddam Hussein might be concealing weapons of mass destruction.
"We are aiming to restore as much as possible the concept of `any time, any place,"' said Mohamed el-Baradei, director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, where the nuclear inspectors are based and the talks are being held.
Although the Iraqi president last month pledged unconditional access to sites across Iraq, Baghdad since has rejected the notion of new UN resolutions that would broaden and toughen the inspection regimen. The Iraqi resistance has thrown into question whether the inspectors would be able to come and go as they please at Saddam's palaces, which have been off-limits to surprise visits since 1998. Bureau Report