Iraq Allows U.N. Team to Map Sites

A U.N. team began mapping Iraq’s so-called presidential compounds Sunday, attempting to help resolve one of the main disputes in the crisis over U.N. inspections of suspected weapons sites, Iraqi sources said.

The teams are not actually investigating the compounds, which Iraq has said are off limits to U.N. weapons inspectors. Instead, U.N. officials hope to use the maps to determine which areas of the eight sprawling compounds are legitimate targets for inspections and which areas should remain closed.

Iraq has said unrestricted inspections would violate its national sovereignty.

The United States, which has threatened military action against Iraq if it does not open the compounds to inspectors, did not immediately comment on the map-making team.

But Iraq called the development a “positive step,” and warned that a U.S. military strike could destroy a well-functioning U.N. monitoring system of suspected weapons sites.

“The military attack would practically destroy the system, which relies on communications, cameras” and other equipment, said Gen. Amir Saadi, an Iraqi presidential advisor.

Asked if the Iraqi government is open to inspection of at least some of the restricted sites, Saadi said: “We are flexible.” He did not elaborate.

Access to the sites is at the core of the crisis. The United States and Britain have threatened to attack Iraq if President Saddam Hussein does not completely open his palaces to U.N. inspectors.

In Washington, White House National Security Advisor Samuel R. “Sandy” Berger reiterated that U.S. forces would be prepared to strike repeatedly if, following initial bombings, Iraq showed any indications of rebuilding its chemical and biological warfare capacity.

Appearing on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press,” Berger said: “We would make it clear that if we have evidence that he [Hussein] is rebuilding, we would be prepared to act again.”