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Saturday, February 15, 2003
UN inspectors weapons report mixed
BLIX'S POINTS
• No convincing evidence that Iraqis have known in advance of inspectors' plans
• Iraq has accepted an offer to talk with South African experts on disarmament
• U.N. weapons inspectors have found no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but won't rule out the possibility they may exist
• Iraq must account for status of anthrax and VX (a nerve agent) and long-range missiles
• Not clear that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell conclusively demonstrated illicit movement of arms
• Interviews with three Iraqi scientists were helpful
ELBARADEI'S POINTS
• Inspectors have so far found no evidence of nuclear weapons but are still investigating
• Iraq has provided immediate access to all inspection locations
• International Atomic Energy Agency will increase inspectors and support staff
• Iraq has provided documentation on several outstanding issues, but the documents did not fully clarify the matters
• Iraqi cooperation "will speed up the process," although it is possible to complete inspections without cooperation
UNITED NATIONS -- The leaders of the U.N. weapons inspection effort in Iraq told the United Nations Security Council Friday that inspectors had not found any weapons of mass destruction during their search in Iraq, but they did not rule out the possibility that they may exist.
Hans Blix, executive chairman of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, delivered key reports Friday to the council, which is sharply divided over the best course to take to get Iraq to disarm.
Blix in his report expressed concern that Iraq has still not accounted for many banned arms but insisted that disarmament can be achieved in a keynote address to the UN Security Council as moves toward war gathered pace.
He confirmed that Iraq's Al-Samoud 2 missile violated UN limits in his declaration to the Security Council -- which is deeply divided between the United States and its allies backing firm action against Iraq, and France, Russia and China, which oppose war.
The head of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) said his teams had not yet been able to determine how many illegal weapons Iraq still had.
But he also emphasized that the 250 experts in Iraq had not found any chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction.
"So far, UNMOVIC has not found any such weapons, only a small number of chemical munitions, which should have been declared and destroyed," Blix said.
"Another matter -- and one of great significance -- is that many proscribed weapons and items are not accounted for," he said, calling on Iraq to clear up the situation.
"If they exist, they should be presented for destruction. If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented."
Blix said the Al-Samoud 2 missile system exceeds a 150-kilometer (95-mile) range and therefore violates UN limits. "This missile system is therefore proscribed for Iraq," Blix told the foreign ministers from the main world powers who were at the meeting.
Blix said that in general the 11 weeks of arms inspections are helping bridge gaps in knowledge about Iraq's weapons programs. Weapons inspectors returned after a four-year gap following a UN resolution passed in November which warned Iraq of "serious consequences" if it did not comply with disarmament demands.
The United States has massed 150,000 troops around Iraq and says Saddam is in "material breach" of its obligations. Opponents on the Security Council insist that the weapons inspectors should be given more time to finish their work.
The United States has indicated that it may submit a new resolution in coming days seeking UN approval for the use of military action against Iraq.
Blix did not ask for more time, but he questioned the US interpretation of satellite photos that Secretary of State Colin Powell said last week showed suspicious activity at an Iraqi weapons site.
"The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity as a movement of proscribed munitions in anticipation of an imminent inspection," Blix said.
He added that "the period of disarmament through inspection could still be short, if immediate, active and unconditional cooperation ... were to be forthcoming."
Blix said there was no evidence that Iraq had advance warning of UN inspections, as Powell alleged in his presentation to the Security Council last week.
"All inspections were performed without notice, and access was almost always provided promptly," he said.
While acknowledging that "many" governmental intelligence organizations were convinced and asserted that proscribed weapons, items and programs continue to exist in Iraq, Blix said the inspectors had to rely on hard evidence.
"Governments have many sources of information that are not available to inspectors," Blix said.
On the other hand, Mohammed ElBaradei head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency told the council to his plan to expand its inspection capabilities and boost its staff in Iraq in the coming weeks.
"In the coming weeks, the IAEA will continue to expand its inspection capabilities in a number of ways, including its already extensive use of unannounced inspections at all relevant sites in Iraq," said in a key report on the work of his inspectors.
"To strengthen and accelerate our ability to investigate matters of concern, and to reinstate and reinforce our ongoing monitoring and verification system that came to a halt in 1998, we intend to increase the number of inspectors and support staff," the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) added.
He noted that the IAEA would also assign more analysts and translators to support analysis of Iraqi documents and other inspection findings.
"We will also intensify and expand the range of technical meetings and private interviews with Iraqi personnel, in accordance with our preferred modalities and locations, both inside and outside Iraq," he added.
ElBaradei said Iraq has provided documentation on several outstanding issues, but the documents did not fully clarify the matters.
Meanwhile, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has issued a decree banning the importation and production of weapons of mass destruction.
While the decree bans individuals and companies from importing or producing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, it makes no mention of governmet or state-run entities. The Iraqi government insists it possesses no such weapons.
The order came a few hours before U.N. weapons inspectors report to the Security Council on Iraq's compliance with the U.N. resolution to disarm.
Saddam made the order after meeting his top officials Friday, and shortly before convening an extraordinary session of the Iraqi parliament.
"All ministries should implement this decree and take whatever measures are necessary and punish people who do not adhere to it," said the presidential order.
The decree goes some way to meeting a key condition in the U.N. resolution, and would be considered a timely and important step.(AFP/CNN) |
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