Secretary-General Kofi Annan confirmed on Monday that talks he had hoped to start with Iraq this week on ending the stalemate over weapons inspections would not begin until February.
“Originally I had expected them to come this week. But they are not coming this week and I'll be traveling very shortly,” Annan said upon arrival at UN headquarters. So I would expect the meeting will not take place until some time after February.

When asked whether he thought the Iraqis would follow through, Annan replied: What I have offered is a date, or a suggestion of the timeframe within which we could meet. And I'm expecting them to react.

Annan and Iraq agreed at an Islamic summit in Doha, Qatar, in November to open the so-called dialogue at the beginning of the year.
Iraq is looking to the talks as a step toward ending the sanctions that have been punishing the country since they were imposed in 1990, shortly after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Topping the united nations' agenda will be the return of weapons inspectors, who have not visited Iraq since late 1998.

Iraq didn't respond to Annan's request for ideas about how to frame the discussion, and Annan leaves at the end of the week for a trip to Asia and Europe that will last for the rest of the month.

Iraq's deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, said on Saturday that because of Annan's travel schedule, the talks may have to be postponed until next month.

Bureau Report