United Nations: Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has asked Iraq to come clean with its programme of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) or provide "convincing" evidence to substantiate its current position that it has none.

Blix, who briefed the Security Council on his recent trip to Baghdad ahead of inspections, apparently does not believe in the position taken so far by Iraq that it has no weapons of mass destruction.

"If the Iraq side has to state (in the Dec 8 Declaration) as it did at our meeting - that there was no such programme --it would need to provide convincing documentary or other evidence," he told the Council members on November 25.

In the earlier declaration submitted to inspectors, Iraq did not give full account and in many cases left open the question whether some weapons existed, he told reporters.

"The production of mustard gas is not exactly the same as production of marmalade," he remarked.

Iraq is expected to provide complete list of its weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological, together with materials and facilities as also vehicles for delivery by December 8 or be judged in "material breach" of the Council resolution and invite possible military action.

Iraq has repeatedly said that it would cooperate with the inspectors, but Blix told the Council that officials had remarked during talks with him last week that the entry into a presidential palace or a ministry is not "exactly the same thing as entry into a factory."

Diplomats say they are not sure how exactly Baghdad would react if inspectors show up at a Presidential Palace and demand immediate access. The Council resolution allows inspectors full and unimpeded access. This is seen as one of the points of conflict.

Blix, however, told reporters that his team would exercise its right under the Council resolution fully and said, "we would inspect all sites on an equal basis."

Giving an example of Iraqi failure to provide account to the inspectors in 1990s, he said it gave figures about production of mustard gas, a nerve agent, but the figures did not give the full account.

Confirming that inspections would begin on November 27, Blix said at present there are 19 inspectors on the ground, 11 from his unit and eight from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and by Christmas, he expects 100 inspectors there.

He said he wants to open a field office in Mosul city immediately as inspectors major work would be around it and Baghdad.

He said Iraq was uncertain about how to prepare the declaration of all nuclear, chemical and biological programmes.

"We may not be the brightest in the world but I can tell you we are in nobody's pockets," he remarked when asked whether the United States is pressing for more aggressive inspections.

PTI