iraq to make blix's visit a 'success'

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    BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Iraq's most influential newspaper
    said on Satrday Baghdad would do its best to make a crucial
    visit by chief U.N. weapons inspectors a success.
    "Iraq will endeavor to make work of U.N. inspection teams
    successful in order to avert the danger of American aggression
    on Iraq and the whole region," wrote Babel, newspaper of
    President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday.
    The paper, however, urged top inspectors Hans Blix and
    Mohamed ElBaradei, who arrive in Baghdad later on Satrday, to
    be professional and neutral in their assessment of Iraq's
    cooperation with inspectors.
    "It is very important that Mr Blix and Mr ElBaradei should
    be professional and should not bow to American pressure and
    blackmail," it said.
    "The world is looking forward to their visit in order to
    prove that American allegations against Iraq are lies."
    Blix, head of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and
    Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and ElBaradei, chairman of the
    International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have said that
    private interviews with Iraqi scientists and surveillance
    flights were major issues on their agenda.
    U.S. President George W. Bush said the United Nations must
    soon decide whether to back America's demand that Iraq abandon
    its alleged chemical, biological and nuclear programmes or be
    disarmed by force.
    Iraq denies having any such weapons.
    For its part, Iraq bowed to a key U.N. demand and let
    weapons inspectors hold private interviews with Iraqi
    scientists.
    The first interview occurred on Thursday. On Friday, Iraq
    said U.N. weapons inspectors held private interviews with three
    more scientists.
 
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