BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Wearing combat pants, hard shoes and a sky blue jungle hat, the U.N. missile expert stepped out of her white all-terrain vehicle, flashed a smile and told waiting Iraqi government officials what she thought they needed to know of her plans for the day.
“It's a short inspection and you'll be back by 2 p.m.,†she said.
“How long will we be today?†one of the Iraqis pressed.
“It's a reasonable distance. Do you want me to tell you which site, too?†the inspector replied with a polite laugh. The men laughed too, and off went everybody — Iraqis, U.N. inspectors and trailing journalists — in a convoy of 4X4s.
Officially, the Iraqis are liaison officers, assigned to help the inspectors — empowered by a U.N. resolution to search anywhere, anytime and without warning — if they run into trouble gaining access to a site. The Iraqis also likely serve as their government's eyes and ears, poised with radios to tip off the object of a search as soon as they can guess where the inspectors are headed.
Being an arms inspector in Iraq these days is a tricky business.<p>*** What reader WOULDN'T abandon this story about 2 grafs in?
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