The United Nations mission to find and destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction returned to the Iraqi capital with the threat of force hanging over the Baghdad government should it fail to co-operate with UNSCOM.
Mr Richard Butler, the chairman of UNSCOM, said yesterday he was looking forward to returning to normality after months of controversy.
Eighty staff including inspectors and administrators refused to comment on their inspection schedule. "We've got a lot of work to do. We've got priorities to sort out," said Ms Caroline Cross, spokeswoman for UNSCOM. "The work that's going on between us and the Iraqi government is confidential. It is the business of the United Nations and Iraq. If we have any problems in our activities, it's our business to report this to UNSCOM headquarters and on to the Security Council, and not to the international media."
UNSCOM complained for months that its work had been undermined by Iraqi obstruction. In August the Iraqi authorities stopped co-operation with weapons inspectors, who conducted spot checks on suspected sites at short notice. At the end of October, they ended all co-operation with UNSCOM, complaining the agency was full of spies working for the CIA and Mossad (the Israeli intelligence network). The observers will be watching their own mission very carefully. The US and Britain have warned of immediate military action without reference to the UN if there is any obstruction of the inspectors' work.
The UN envoy in Baghdad, Mr Prakash Shah, has left for New York and is expected to conduct intensive discussions with the Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan. Mr Shah was a key figure in preventing a huge military strike against Iraq at the weekend. Describing the settlement as a "victory for diplomacy", he warned that it was far from carved in stone. "I cannot guarantee or tell you anything authentically whether this agreement will survive or not." Mr Shah is likely to impress on Mr Butler the desirability of treading carefully in a delicate situation. Mr Butler has been criticised by many in the UN for his brash manner and willingness to speak publicly about difficulties with the Iraqi authorities.
The stakes are high. Any rash decisions or outbursts from any party at this sensitive moment could reactivate the military option and bring an unannounced hailstorm of cruise missiles.
AFP adds from Washington: Seventy per cent of Americans say the goal of US military action against Iraq should be to overthrow President Saddam Hussein, according to a USA Today poll.
Only 24 per cent said a military strike should be limited to forcing Iraq to comply with UN weapons inspectors.
Meanwhile, US officials said there were 237 military aircraft, 14 warships and 24,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in the Gulf.