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U.N. Inspection Team Visits Two Facilities Near Baghdad

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From Reuters

U.N. experts inspected an animal vaccine production lab and an active munitions factory Thursday near here on the second day of a hunt for suspected banned weapons in Iraq.

The inspections went mostly smoothly, as they did Wednesday, when the inspectors resumed work after a four-year absence.

The United States has threatened a military assault if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein obstructs the inspections. Iraq has denied possessing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

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Two teams of inspectors accompanied by Iraqi officials spent several hours at the two facilities.

One group went to a foot-and-mouth vaccination laboratory in the Dora area. The once-government-run facility has been defunct since weapons inspectors dismantled its equipment in 1996.

The other team went to a complex in the Taji area where factories produce light conventional ammunition and heavy civilian machinery.

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At the Dora facility, the inspectors noticed that some equipment was missing and were told by the Iraqis that it had been moved to another facility a month ago. When they demanded to see that facility, they were driven there by the Iraqi minders.

The inspectors also ordered debugging equipment for their headquarters.

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