United Nations: Cautioning Iraq against playing "cat and mouse" games with weapons inspectors, chief inspector Hans Blix has said whether there would be war or peace depends on Iraq's level of co-operation during the inspections due to begin on November 27.

"We expect that the first inspections will take place on November 27," Blix, the executive chairman of the UN monitoring verification and inspection commission (UMMOVIC), told reporters on November 15 on the eve of his departure to Iraq via Cyprus to finalise arrangements for inspections.

The UN Security Council was giving a "last opportunity" for Iraq to search its archives, storage facilities and stocks before making a full declaration of its weapons of mass destruction and related materials by December 8, he added.

The behaviour of the Iraqi authorities would be pivotal between war and peace, Blix said.

"What will they declare? How open are they? How much transparency will there be?," he asked.

Inspectors would report the "factual position" and it would be for the council decide whether Iraq was in "material breach" or not and on the action to be taken, he said.

"I think it is in the Iraqi interest, too, that there are effective inspections. Otherwise, they would not be credible, and that would be of no use to the Iraqis or anybody else. This is how I see the Security Council instructions," he said.

"Iraq's declaration is a very important document and we hope they take it seriously," he added.

PTI