What kind of ideas? The proposals Annan is taking have not been made public, but diplomats in New York talk about a white glove solution, or a black tie formula. That is, the weapons inspectors would have diplomats from Security Council nations holding their hands in order to enter Iraqi presidential complexes. Baghdad has already allowed a small team of U.N. envoys to map out the eight disputed sites, so this solution isnt entirely wacky.
The question is, would Washington and London agree? The President and the prime minister, respectively, have reportedly warned Annan not to put them in a jam or to fudge the issue. And its unclear what Clinton or Blair think of white gloves and black ties. Would it contradict the flogged-to-death insistence on full, free and unfettered access for weapons inspectors? Until the secretary general extracts any concessions from Saddam, thats a moot question.