3.6 |
Development of UK strategy and options, November 2002 to January
2003
had been
“systematically removed”, although the declaration stated that they
would be
“provided
to UNMOVIC on request”.
It did
not:
•
“address the
issue of unaccounted for growth media”;
•
“provide fully
documented accounts” of the pre‑1991 programmes or
“recognition
of the
military application”;
•
“acknowledge
any proscribed biological weapons activity post‑1991”;
or
•
“mention …
transportable production facilities”.
Nuclear
weapons
The
declaration was “largely the same as the FFCD” for activity
pre‑1991 which had been
issued in
1998, “with a new extended summary”. It was “accurate” but
“incomplete”. It
maintained
that no weapons‑related work had been undertaken since 1998. It did
not
address
whether Iraq had been seeking uranium in Africa.
Ballistic
missiles
Most of the
data provided related to pre‑1991 programmes. The declaration
acknowledged
“some
facilities established since 1998” and “known from intelligence”.
It also provided
“some
limited new evidence of proscribed missile development post‑1991”.
Two designs
were judged
to have ranges greater than the limit of 150km.
The “major
omissions” were:
•
“no attempt to
resolve outstanding issues” relating to SCUD missiles;
•
“no mention of
any post‑1998 activity at many missile related facilities,
including
the
al‑Rafah engine test stand”, which was “capable of testing engines
for missiles
with ranges
over 1000km”; and
•
“no details of
recent procurement activity associated with more advanced
missile
propellant”.
Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
•
The
declaration referred to “aborted attempts” to convert an anti‑ship
missile into
a land
attack weapon with a range of 95km. The JIC judged the “system
would be
suitable
for chemical and biological delivery”.
•
The
declaration claimed that the L‑29 aircraft was “a target‑drone” and
there “was
no mention
of a chemical or biological agent delivery capability”. The JIC
judged
that Iraq
had “more aircraft” and had “conducted more flight tests than
stated”; and
that its
range was “understated”.
•
The
declaration provided “limited, but new information on two UAV
programmes”,
which Iraq
claimed had “started after 1998”, that had been included in
reports
recently
passed to UNMOVIC. They would be “used as target drones”. The
JIC
judged that
the UAVs “would have a significantly better performance” than
claimed
and could
be “adapted to chemical and biological agent
delivery”.
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