21 January 2004	Wednesday	28 Ziqa'ad 1424

WASHINGTON, Jan 20: US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday confirmed that a team of US experts is now on the ground in Libya, working to verify Tripoli's vow to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction.

"We do have people on the ground now working with the Libyans," Mr Powell told reporters at a State Department news conference with visiting Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha.

He said the team was headed by Donald Mahley, the State Department's special negotiator for chemical and biological arms control issues, and that he expected to see quick results on verification.

"I think things will start to happen rather quickly," Powell said, adding however that he could not provide a timeline on when the process might be complete "until the work is done on the ground." - AFP