The initial group of U.N. weapons inspectors arrived safely in Iraq Monday and will begin their examination of Iraqi arms Wednesday.
All eyes are now focused on Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi government to see how the foreigners in their country will be received.
Last week, the first group of U.N. employees disembarked in Iraq to prepare for the arrival of the weapons inspectors.
\So far, [the Iraqis] have committed themselves to cooperate, but obviously that needs to be tested on a number of levels, [including] weapons inspection,"" said Ewen Buchanan, Public Information Officer for the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission.
The Iraqis will be held responsible for the safety of the U.N. inspectors, according to Buchanan.
""There was originally a suggestion of armed guards going with the inspectors, but that was dropped in the [U.N.] resolution,"" he said.
According Dr. William Boettcher, assistant professor of political science at North Carolina State University, the inspectors will be on the lookout for evidence of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons production programs. This includes any components that could be put together to make a nuclear bomb, biological agents, seed cultures and nerve agents.
Chief U.N. Weapons Inspector Hans Blix previously met with Iraqi officials and said they had denied possession of weapons of mass destruction.
""If the Iraqi side were to state--as it still did at our meeting--that there were no such programs, it would need to provide convincing documentary or other evidence,"" he said.
U.N. inspectors will also be reviewing the Iraqi missile program. Based on the current agreement, Iraq is not allowed to possess any missiles with a target range over 150 kilometers, Buchanan said.
A ban of long range missiles on Iraq stems from its proximity to Israel, Boettcher said. Concern has been raised over the possibility of Iraq unleashing attacks on Israel in the early days of a war. Israel has a policy to use weapons of kind in a retaliatory attack and may unleash a nuclear bomb on Baghdad if provoked.
According to Boettcher, should banned substances or weapons systems be found in Iraq's possession, the Bush Administration will push for war.
""[In the event of a breach in the U.N. resolution], I think the White House is going to feel it has the authority to take military action,"" he said.
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--The Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service contributed to this report
