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U.S. to share spy data with U.N. inspectors
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As weapons inspectors head back to work in Iraq, the Bush administration has agreed to share what could be key information with the United Nations that could help inspectors in their search for critical information. Anchor Renay San Miguel checked in with CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux: SAN MIGUEL: Good afternoon, Suzanne. MALVEAUX: Well, good afternoon. The administration has decided to go ahead and share some of its intelligence with the international weapons inspectors primarily in the form of spy satellite photos to show what they believe could be sites where Iraq is storing chemical or biological stockpiles. Now, it's really part of a strategy to put the pressure on [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein -- on Iraq -- by really pushing for tough weapons inspections. It was this past week that chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix was publicly complaining, saying that the United States was not providing the kind of information -- the kind of specific intelligence needed, really -- to get the job done. The administration has been somewhat hesitant about that because they've been concerned that it's not going to be secure, that this information would get in the wrong hands, specifically, Iraqi hands, that it would tip them off. They've been waiting to make sure those inspectors get into place, that they have secure phone lines, so that they don't ... give that information over to the Iraqis. Now also, the information that we're told is going to be given to inspectors on the ground, it's not going to be the most sensitive, most classified information. Rather, they're going to give it to them in dribs and drabs to see how they handle it. They want the inspectors to use that information, go in very quickly to see if there is anything at that location before the Iraqis are able to tell or get a hint of what they're up to. There's another part of the White House strategy also that I should mention, which is they're pushing to get those Iraqi scientists out of the country so they can interview them. Administration officials believe this is really the key way that they'll get to the bottom of what Saddam Hussein has in his alleged weapons program. There's still a lot of things to be worked out. There's a list of those scientists that is being circulated, but a lot of things in terms of accommodations, whether or not they'll be granted asylum. These type of issues that, of course, take a lot of diplomacy as well as push. SAN MIGUEL: Suzanne, thank you very much for that report.
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