61.   The standoffs began Tuesday when inspectors were barred from two bases of the elite Republican Guards just west of Baghdad.

62.   U.S. and British diplomats circulated a draft resolution after Iraqi Republican Guards last week barred inspectors from entering two compounds to search for banned weapons.

63.   Iraq triggered a crisis with the United Nations on Friday by barring UN inspectors from entering a government building suspected of containing documents on its illegal weapons programme.

64.   Iraqi authorities on Friday barred arms inspectors from making a snap search of the irrigation ministry in Baghdad, leading to a standoff with UNSCOM.

65.   It is the first time Baghdad has barred inspectors from sites linked to the elite Republican Guards, whose main duty is to protect President Saddam Hussein.

66.   Aziz also rejected UN fears that incriminating material may have been destroyed while inspectors were being barred from the sites.

67.   But IAEA inspectors have been barred from confirming this through full inspections of the Yongbyon facility.

68.   The UN inspectors have been barred from entering sites linked to the Republican Guard in a blanket ban issued on Tuesday, in violation of UN resolutions.

69.   UN Special Commission spokesman Ewen Buchanan told AFP that the latest refusals meant that the inspectors were currently barred from entering a total three sites.

70.   It is the first time Baghdad has barred inspectors from sites linked to the elite Republican Guards.