The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
Recent
developments
Dr Blix
stressed the importance of Iraq’s acceptance of the destruction of
Al Samoud 2
missiles
and associated items, which constituted a “substantial measure of
disarmament
… the first
since the middle 1990s”.
Other
points covered by Dr Blix included:
•
UNMOVIC was
reviewing the legality of the Al Fatah missile.
•
Papers on
anthrax, VX and missiles had recently been provided. Many
re-stated
what Iraq
had already declared, but some required further study and
discussion.
•
There was “a
significant Iraqi effort under way to clarify a major source
of
uncertainty”
about the “quantities of biological and chemical weapons” that
had
been
“unilaterally destroyed in 1991”, by excavating a site that was
formerly
“deemed too
dangerous”. Eight intact bombs had been unearthed, two of
which
had a
“liquid fill”. That “should be followed by a serious and credible
effort to
determine”
how many R-400 bombs had been produced.
•
Iraq had
informed UNMOVIC that there would be further legislation on
prohibiting
work on
weapons of mass destruction.
Dr Blix
stated that, in relation to Iraq’s recent initiatives:
“One can
hardly avoid the impression that, after a period of somewhat
reluctant
co‑operation,
there has been an acceleration of initiatives from the Iraqi side
since
the end of
January. This is welcome, but the value of these measures must
be
soberly
judged by how many question marks they actually succeed in
straightening
out. This
is not yet clear.”
Dr Blix
stated that the question which was being asked was “whether Iraq
has
co‑operated
‘immediately, unconditionally and actively’ with UNMOVIC, as
required”
by resolution 1441.
Dr Blix
stated: “The answers can be seen from the factual descriptions I
have provided.”
He added
that, “if more direct answers are desired”:
•
Iraq had not
“persisted” in attaching conditions on the exercise of
the
inspectors rights.
•
The recent
Iraqi initiatives to address long-standing issues could be “seen
as
active or
even proactive”. But “three to four months into the new resolution”
they
could not
be said “to constitute ‘immediate’ co-operation. Nor do they
necessarily
cover all
areas of relevance. They are nevertheless welcome, and
UNMOVIC
is
responding to them in the hope of solving presently unresolved
disarmament
issues.”
Key
disarmament tasks
Dr Blix
stated that UNMOVIC was working under several resolutions and that
resolution
1284 (1999)
instructed “UNMOVIC to ‘address unresolved disarmament issues’ and
to
identify
‘key remaining disarmament tasks’ … to be submitted for approval by
the Council
in the
context of a work programme”. UNMOVIC was required to submit only
the work
programme
to the Council, and the draft would be ready “this month as
required”.
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