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Could plant weapons Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
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Jan 31, 10:38 AM EST
Iraq: U.S. Could Plant Weapons Evidence
By HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq warned Friday that the United States could try to plant evidence that the country had retained programs in weapons of mass destruction.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri also demanded that the United States present proof - immediately - that Baghdad was hiding banned weapons and hand it over to U.N. weapons inspectors so they can investigate the claims.
In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Sabri said that Washington might try to use its "technological superiority in the techniques of espionage, fabrication, deception and misleading" to plant false evidence against Iraq, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The full text of the letter to Annan was not made public.
According to the ministry, Sabri described Secretary of State Colin Powell's pledge to take evidence about Iraq's programs to the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5 as an act in a "theatrical production."
"The American administration has in the past presented more than one report that is filled with claims and accusations that lack any evidence," the statement said.
Despite Sabri's charges, Iraq offered to discuss key unresolved issues - including private interviews with scientists and surveillance flights - with top U.N. weapons inspectors if they return for new talks here next month.
The inspectors have been unwilling to accept Iraq's invitation for another visit unless obstacles hampering inspections are removed. Chief nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei said inspectors need to meet scientists in private, and have use of surveillance planes.
The United States and Britain insist that Baghdad retains banned weaponry, despite Iraq's denials and despite the fact that inspectors have found no compelling evidence of such armaments.
Washington and London have threatened to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein does not give up those weapons. The United States has marshaled nearly 90,000 land, sea and air forces in the Gulf region and the number is likely to double within two weeks.
A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said Thursday that Powell would not take "a smoking gun" to the council but will have circumstantial evidence to make a convincing case that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction.
Maj. Gen. Hossam Mohammed Amin, the chief Iraqi liaison officer with the inspectors, said Iraq was interested in resolving outstanding issues before Blix and ElBaradei make their next report to the Security Council on Feb. 14.
Outlining the Iraqi position, Amin suggested that Baghdad would not oppose flights by U-2 aircraft, as requested by the United Nations, as long as the United States and Britain stop patrols over the "no-fly" zones of southern and northern Iraq while the spy planes are in the air.
This way, he said, Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries would not mistake the reconnaissance plane for American and British jets and fire on it.
The no-fly zones have been enforced by the United States and Britain since 1991 to protect Iraqi Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south from Iraq's army.
Amin also hoped the discussions would deal with Iraqi complaints about questions asked by inspectors during visits to suspect sites, claiming they smacked of "intelligence-gathering."
Blix has defended the conduct of his inspectors, saying they were simply gathering information as required by Security Council Resolution 1441, which sent inspectors back to Iraq in November with expanded powers.
Asked if there was still hope for a peaceful solution, Amin said: "Yes, of course, there exists hope and it depends on parties, organizations, governments and popular agencies which are leading an anti-war movement that's growing every day."
Meanwhile Friday, the U.N. inspectors visited at least two sites, including a factory about 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Baghdad that produces fuses for missile warheads. A chemical warfare team went to an agricultural equipment firm, the Information Ministry said.
On the issue of private interviews, the United Nations has been demanding that Iraq produce scientists and others familiar with banned weapons programs for talks without the presence of Iraqi officials.
Inspectors believe the scientists would be more forthcoming with information in private interviews. However, no Iraqi has submitted so far to private interviews, although the Iraqi government insists it is encouraging them to do so. Two more Iraqis refused private interviews Thursday.
The United States maintains that Saddam's government has threatened Iraqis with death if they speak to the United Nations in private.
Talk of a war, meanwhile, dominated top-level meetings in Washington on Thursday as the United States increased pressure on its allies to support efforts to disarm Saddam.
President George W. Bush received Italy's Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who endorses the U.S. hard line on Iraq. In a White House session, Bush put allies on notice that he will not wait long to act describing it as "a matter of weeks not months."
Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham, however, in a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell, argued that a U.S. invasion of Iraq without U.N. endorsement would "risk consequences."
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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