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No wmd found but { February 14 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7728-2003Feb14.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7728-2003Feb14.html
Blix: No Weapons of Mass Destruction Found
Chief Inspector Says Many Materials Unaccounted For
By Edith M. Lederer
Associated Press Writer
Friday, February 14, 2003; 11:29 AM
UNITED NATIONS – Chief inspector Hans Blix told the U.N. Security Council in a crucial report Friday that his team have not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but many banned materials remain unaccounted for.
The inspectors have "not found any such weapons, only a small number of empty chemical munitions, which should have been declared and destroyed," he said.
"Another matter, and one of great significance, is that many proscribed weapons and items are not accounted for. One must not jump to the conclusion that they exist. However, that possibility is also not excluded."
Blix spoke at a council meeting that could determine whether the United States gets U.N. backing for military action against Iraq. Blix's counterpart, Mohamed ElBaradei, then addressed the meeting, which was attended by Secretary of State Colin Powell and other foreign ministers. The ministers and ambassadors of the 15 council nations were to then speak publicly before heading into a private session.
"We have to date found no evidence of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear-related activities in Iraq," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said.
"However. . . .a number of issues are still under investigation," he said. ElBaradei said the agency may never be able to reach a final conclusion on 32 tons of the high-explosive HMX, which Iraq said was for use in quarrying.
He also said documents on Iraq's post-1998 nuclear program which Iraqi officials handed over last week contained no new information that would help clarify inspectors' questions related to Iraqi nuclear weapons design.
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.
Blix cast doubt on some of the evidence presented by Powell last week at the Security Council. Powell suggested that the Iraqis had removed banned weapons and materials shortly before inspectors arrived at suspect sites.
"In no case have we seen convincing evidence that the Iraqi side knew in advance that the inspectors were coming," Blix asserted.
Blix said if banned materials exist, Iraq should turn them over for destruction.
"If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented," Blix said.
Blix also reported that findings by a panel of experts found 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.
On a second missile, the Al Fatah, Blix said his experts needed more information before deciding if it violated U.N. range limits.
Iraq insists the missile system's range is under 93 miles. British Prime Minister Tony Blair described it as potentially a "significant breach," but Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said it was a "technical issue" that showed inspections were working.
Blix said private interviews with three Iraqi scientists had "proved informative." However, he said, since the interviews were conducted in Baghdad on Feb. 8-9 there were no more done in private.
"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 its scientists to agree to private interviews. Previously, all scientists insisted on being accompanied by an Iraqi official or having their interview tape recorded.
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 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."
While the inspectors are expected to praise recent Iraqi cooperation, they are also likely to say it falls short of the genuine turnaround Blix and ElBaradei hoped for when they met Iraqi officials over the weekend.
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.
© 2003 The Associated Press
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