They will give us access to the presidential sites in Iraq.

The new procedures provide for diplomats to accompany inspectors at eight presidential sites in coming weeks.

Iraq did not define the presidential sites until January of this year and then said that they would never be opened to inspections.

On the spot, Iraqi officials declared the building to be "a presidential site," and barred the inspectors.

"It was a first inspection of a presidential site," he said.

Iraq had previously contended that presidential sites should be off limits.

The presidential sites collectively cover nearly 19 square miles and more than 1,000 buildings.

But they could not agree on the most sensitive issue: how intrusive inspections of the presidential sites would be.

New arrangements for inspecting Iraq's presidential sites are working relatively well.

For now a 70-member team of weapons experts will inventory the many buildings within the presidential sites.