According to Iraqis, the Al Samoud is ______. [br] [originaltext] Our corr

Our correspondent reported that the United States will consider Iraq’s destruction of the Al Samoud, a liquid propellant "mini-Scud" ballistic missile, a test of Baghdad’s commitment to disarm. Destroying the Al Samouds would rob Iraq of a potentially valuable weapon which it considers legitimate for its defense at a time when it faces tens of thousands of American troops poised for a possible invasion. Other outstanding disarmament issues include allowing inspectors to interview Iraqi scientists without government "minders" present. Inspectors from the U.N. Monitoring and Observation Commission led by Blix, have conducted only three private interviews with Iraqi scientists since their return to Iraq in November. "It’s three out of more than 20 attempts," he said. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is inspecting Iraq’s nuclear program, has conducted four private interviews, including one Monday.