American chemical companies are used to Government regulatory inspections, but an international inspection agency may be more likely to compromise trade secrets.

Instead the Council drafteda reply to the inspection agencies.

"These people had been at it awhile," said Pat Casey, a spokesman for the postal inspection agency.

Two of those five inspections are now done by outside inspection agencies hired by building owners.

As such, the inspection agency will in all probability find "only what Saddam wanted them to."

In recent years, the inspection agency has been called lax by some city officials.

I think it makes sense, but there aren't enough resources to do a good job so we employ our own inspection agency.

I think there is an urgent need, given the recent train crashes, for external inspection agencies to look after the safety of passengers in Europe.

Responsibility for this is shared equally between undertakings, unions and inspection agencies.

Currently, the inspection agencies say, Iraq is stopping them from following up fresh intelligence by visiting new sites.