1.1 | UK
Iraq strategy 1990 to 2000
“… during
the period under review, Iraq initiated new forms of restrictions
upon
the
Commission’s work. Amongst the Commission’s many concerns about
this
retrograde
step is what such further restrictions might mean for the
effectiveness
of long-term
monitoring activities.
“In spite
of the opportunity presented … including the prospect of a
comprehensive
review,
Iraq’s conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in
either the
fields of
disarmament or accounting for its prohibited weapons
programmes.
“… in the
absence of full co-operation by Iraq, it must regrettably be
recorded …
that the
Commission is not able to conduct the substantive disarmament
work
mandated …
by the Security Council and, thus, to give the Council the
assurances
it requires
with respect to Iraq’s prohibited weapons programmes.”
645.
Mr Annan
also circulated a letter of 14 December from Mr Aziz,
reporting in detail
on the
activities of the IAEA and UNSCOM between 18 November and
13 December
and stating
that, despite concerns about aspects of UNSCOM’s actions, Iraq
had
provided
full co-operation.260
646.
Mr Aziz’s
concerns included:
•
A large
inspection team to address allegations of concealment had
arrived
without the
agreed advance notification and had “carried out its work in
an
intrusive
and provocative manner, showing no respect for the procedures
agreed
between
Iraq and UNSCOM”.
•
UNSCOM had
not responded to Iraq’s requests to send teams to work
with
Iraq to
investigate two areas of importance in relation to the material
balance of
chemical
weapons: “the fate of the 155mm shells with mustard” and
verification
of the
“tail units of the R-400” which were “at the Iraqi Air Force
stores”.
647.
Mr Annan
suggested that the Council might want to consider three
possible
options:
•
“That the
experience over the period since 17 November 1998 does not
provide
a sufficient
basis to move forward with a comprehensive review at this
time.”
•
“That Iraq
has not provided full co-operation but that it should be
permitted
additional
time to demonstrate its commitment to do so.”
•
“That the
Council may wish to proceed with a comprehensive review on
the
premise
that it is sufficiently important to know precisely what has been
achieved
in the area
of disarmament over the entire period since 1991.”261
260
UN Security
Council, 15 December 1998, ‘Letter dated 14 December 1998
from the Deputy Prime
Minister of
Iraq addressed to the Secretary-General’
(S/1998/1173).
261
UN Security
Council, 15 December 1998, ‘Letter dated 15 December 1998
from the Secretary-General
addressed
to the President of the Security Council’
(S/1998/1172).
145