posted on February 14, 2003 10:24:13 AM new
from Newsday.........
The Associated Press
February 14, 2003, 12:12 PM EST
UNITED NATIONS -- The chief U.N. weapons inspectors told the Security Council in a crucial report Friday that their teams have not found any weapons of mass destruction and interviews with scientists have been useful.
With Secretary of State Colin Powell listening from his seat across a round table, chief inspector Hans Blix cast doubt on evidence Powell provided to the council last week claiming that Iraq had cleaned-up suspect sites before inspectors arrived.
Blix’s counterpart, nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, later told the council that inspectors had found no evidence Iraq had resumed its nuclear weapons program, and said inspectors do not need Iraq’s full cooperation to complete their work.
“The IAEA’s experience in nuclear verification shows that it is possible, particularly with an intrusive verification system, to assess the presence or absence of a nuclear weapons program in a state even without the full co-operation of the inspected state.
The inspectors spoke at a council meeting that could determine whether the United States gets U.N. backing for military action against Iraq for failing to disarm. Powell and other foreign ministers and ambassadors of the 15 council nations were to speak publicly at the meeting before heading into a private session.
The United States and Britain are gearing up for war and will almost certainly spotlight an Iraqi missile program which exceeds U.N. limits and questions about nerve agents and anthrax. They were to argue at the meeting that Iraq has no intention of disarming peacefully.
On the other side, France, Russia, China and Germany were expected to emphasize new signs of Iraqi cooperation, including its decision to allow U-2 reconnaissance flights and private interviews with scientists, and to establish commissions to search for weapons and documents.
Regarding weapons of mass destruction, Blix said the inspection team “has not found any such weapons, only a small number of empty chemical munitions, which should have been declared and destroyed,” he said.
He said a finding “of great significance” was that many proscribed weapons “are not accounted for. One must not jump to the conclusion that they exist.
“However, that possibility is also not excluded. If they exist, they should be presented for destruction. If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented.”
“In no case have we seen convincing evidence that the Iraqi side knew in advance that the inspectors were coming,” Blix said.
Blix also questioned evidence that Powell provided to the council in his presentation last week.
Pointing to one case Powell highlighted using satellite photos of a munitions depot, Blix said: “The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity” as one designed to hide banned materials before inspections.
Blix also reported findings by a panel of experts that one of Iraq’s new missile systems exceeds the range limit set by Security Council resolutions.
“The experts concluded that, based on the data provided by Iraq, the two declared variants of the Al Samoud 2 missile were capable of exceeding 150 kilometers (93 miles) in range. This missile system is therefore proscribed for Iraq,” Blix said.
Blix said additional information was needed on a second missile, the Al Fatah, before deciding if it was in violation.
Blix said private interviews with three Iraqi scientists “proved informative,” but since the interviews conducted in Baghdad on Feb. 8-9 no more had been done in private — “on our terms.”
“I hope this will change,” he said. “We feel that interviews conducted without any third party present and without tape recording would provide the greatest credibility.”
Under intense pressure, Iraq agreed earlier this month to prod scientists to agree to private interviews. Previously, all scientists insisted on being accompanied by an Iraqi official or having their interview tape recorded.
Blix said there were 250 U.N. personnel now in Iraq, including about 115 inspectors. He said there had been more than 400 inspections at 300 sites since the process began in November.
The United States and Britain were waiting to hear from the inspectors before deciding when to present a draft resolution that would either authorize military action or find Iraq in “material breach” of its obligations — a term that Washington and London believe would be enough to justify an attack, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.
British diplomats had said a draft could be introduced as early as Saturday. Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw were scheduled to meet Friday afternoon with the three other veto-holding permanent council members — France, Russia and China — and then with the 10 elected members.
“There are a number of options,” said Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock. “I think there will be a last minute decision.”
France could also decide to submit its proposal to triple the number of inspectors, diplomats said.
Iraq’s U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri went to see Blix late Thursday about the report. “I’m worried,” he said afterward. “It’s a question of war and peace.”
On Friday, inspection teams returned to Iraq’s al-Muthanna chemical weapons installation, where they have been destroying artillery shells and neutralizing four plastic containers filled with mustard gas. They also visited a mineral water plant.
After the 1991 Gulf War, inspectors oversaw the destruction of the bulk of Iraq’s chemical and biological weapons and dismantled the country’s program to develop nuclear weapons. The inspections resumed in November to search for remaining weapons or revived programs.
posted on February 14, 2003 11:14:18 AM new
You do know they'll "find" something if they invade. Just like a few cops carry a extra gun around to "find" if they shoot someone.
posted on February 14, 2003 11:26:28 AM new
Yep. This report may force bush to invade just so that "evidence" can be planted. Who could realistically put it past him?
SOME 100,000 people took to the streets of Melbourne, chanting antiwar slogans and waving banners that read: “No blood for oil,” “Don’t bomb Iraq,” and “We are all one.”
The main target of the demonstration was U.S. President Bush but it was also directed at Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who has joined British Prime Minister Tony Blair in committing troops.
On Saturday the protest movement will move west to Europe. London protest organizers expect 500,000 people.
Blair, who has unflinchingly supported Bush since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, has seen his popularity plunge in successive opinion polls as a result.
posted on February 14, 2003 11:42:47 AM new
People are starting to wake up. Must be time for another terrorist attack.
I would think people would be getting tired of having the fear and terror card played on them all the time. Although it seems to be working to get people used to armed to the teeth policemen and military in their cities.After all, anything to be safe.
posted on February 14, 2003 02:55:19 PM new
Have you ever seen Powell so close to losing it? Didn't even read from his notes. He never expected that!
I was also so glad to see remarks that his little slide show with the trucks, and all the other trickery didn't work. He was finally told stright out what a bunch of BS it was.
posted on February 15, 2003 12:55:22 AM new
Gravid said "You do know they'll "find" something if they invade. Just like a few cops carry a extra gun around to "find" if they shoot someone."
You'll get all the evidence you want when chemical/biological weapons are fired at our troops.
posted on February 15, 2003 10:15:43 AM new
>I would think people would be getting tired of having the fear and terror card played on them all the time.
Rawbunzel, the Uncivil Anti-Libertarians thrive on it. Look at how the Russians have lived for centuries. In fact, they never felt better than when repressed by their government. The more brutal the government was to them, the more that they were sure that the government was strong enough to protect them. It is the same syndrom that battered women who repeatedly go after the same type of dysfunctional sex partners that beat the crap out of them every time suffer from.
