Iraq says Blix may visit on March 17

Iraq said yesterday chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix might visit Baghdad on March 17, a deadline proposed by the United States and Britain for Iraq to disarm or face military action.

General Hussam Mohammed Amin, head of the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate (NMD), also said Iraq believed it had little hope that it could avert a US-led invasion no matter what Baghdad did on the disarmament issue.

Asked whether Blix would visit soon, Amin told a news conference in Baghdad: "I don't know really, but he might, he might visit us on the 17th of this month."

He did not elaborate. Ewen Buchanan, a spokesman for Blix, said: "I am not aware at this point of any official invitation for Mr Blix to go to Baghdad. And if there were an invitation we would study it to see what would be the purpose of such a visit and what would be gained if anything."

Blix and his team held two days of crucial disarmament talks in Iraq in early February.