Iraq Allows Spy Plane Flight, Submits Names

Iraq allowed another flight by an American U-2 spy plane Thursday and submitted a list of people reportedly involved in the destruction of banned weapons, Iraqi and United Nations officials said.

It was the second flight this week by a U-2 in support of the U.N. inspection program. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the plane spent 6 hours and 20 minutes over Iraq’s territory.

Iraq had been resisting such flights since the inspection program resumed in November but relented as pressure mounted on it to cooperate more.

Submission of a list of people who destroyed weapons was another U.N. demand. The recent moves appear to be aimed at convincing the United Nations that Iraq is cooperating with the inspectors as the United States and Britain are trying to rally support for military action.

However, Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix, said Iraq “needs to do more by way of cooperating, particularly on unresolved disarmament issues, which are clearly issues of substance.”

The latest list submitted by the Iraqis included names of people Baghdad said took part in the destruction of banned materials from its biological and missile programs, Buchanan said Thursday.

Iraq had already submitted a list of 83 people who it said took part in the destruction of banned chemical weapons and related materials.