Arms Inspectors Get List of Iraqi Scientists

BAGHDAD — Iraq complied with a key United Nations demand Saturday by giving weapons inspectors a list of more than 500 scientists linked to the nation’s nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs, a U.N. official said.

U.N. weapons investigators hope that the list will open avenues to learning more about Iraq’s suspected weapons programs.

U.N. inspectors are supposed to be allowed to speak to Iraqi scientists in private -- an option Washington hopes will prompt scientists to reveal hidden arms programs.

So far, inspectors have interviewed two key scientists -- both in the past week. Both, however, refused to talk alone with U.N. officials, and Iraqi officials remained present.

“We have received from the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate a list of names of personnel associated with Iraq’s chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” Hiro Ueki, the spokesman for the U.N. office in Baghdad, said Saturday.

The list marks Baghdad’s latest show of cooperation with the new weapons inspections. While strenuously denying that it possesses any weapons of mass destruction, Iraq has so far complied with most U.N. Security Council requirements, including allowing the initial return of inspectors and giving access to sites the experts want to search.