IRAQ THE THREAT OF WAR: Weapons Sites - the Daunting Task Ahead If Inspectors Are Allowed In

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UNITED NATIONS weapons inspectors, if they do return to Iraq in the coming weeks, will head for the same tightly guarded palaces and ministries from where they were barred in previous years, raising the prospect of more stand-offs with the Iraqis.

The first task of the inspectors, of whom 130 could be in Iraq at any one time, will be to visit known weapons sites and reinstall their monitoring equipment before officially starting work. But they will also have current intelligence information to act on.

UN resolutions provide for a 60-day period to establish the "base line" - draw up an inventory of what needs to be inspected. This is a period generally considered …