Hans Blix's Report
UNITED NATIONS (Feb. 14) - U.N. weapons inspectors haven't found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but chief inspector Hans Blix said many proscribed materials remain unaccounted for.
Inspectors ''has 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. If they exist, they should be presented for destruction.
If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented.
Blix also reported findings by a panel of experts 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 in range. This missile system is therefore proscribed for Iraq,'' Blix said.
On the Al Fatah missile, Blix said: ''the experts found that clarification of the missile data supplied by Iraq was required before the capability of the missile system could be fully assessed.''
Blix said private interviews with three Iraqi scientists ''proved informative,'' but since the interviews conducted in Baghdad on Feb. 8-9, ''no further interviews have since been accepted on our terms.''
''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 to press scientists to agree to private interviews earlier this month. Previously, all scientists insisted on being accompanied by an Iraqi official or having their interview tape recorded.
AP-NY-02-14-03 1050EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. |
