What’s Happening

Key developments Sunday in the Iraq crisis:

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein reached agreement on opening presidential palaces to U.N. arms inspectors, the main condition for avoiding U.S. attack.

President Clinton consulted with advisers but received only minimal details of Annan’s agreement because of the lack of secure telephone service between Washington and Baghdad.

Pentagon started call-up of reserves in case they are needed for a military strike.

Israel decided to distribute antibiotics to protect against a biological attack.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said in London that the United Nations could consider lifting 7-1/2-year-old economic sanctions against Iraq if Saddam promises in writing to comply with weapons inspections.

France and Australia cautiously welcomed Annan’s deal. Britain, more wary in its reaction, said only that there had been “some encouraging signs.”

A dozen Italians, saying they wanted to act as “human shields” to protect Iraqis, left Rome for Amman, Jordan, saying they then would travel by land to Baghdad.