Baghdad says Blix, ElBaradei returning for crucial talks

The chief UN weapons inspectors will return to Baghdad on February 8 for last-minute talks before their next Security Council report on the hunt for banned weapons in Iraq, Iraqi and UN officials said today.

Arms monitors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei are seeking concessions to speed their investigators’ day-to-day work – in particular removing obstacles to UN reconnaissance flights and to private interviews with Iraqi scientists.