Arms inspector's S&M sex life irrelevant: UN Recruiting of Iraq weapons analysts called into question
NOV 30, 2002
NEW YORK - The United Nations has come under criticism after the revelation that one of its new weapons inspectors is not only the founder of a sado-masochistic sex club but also has no scientific degree in the weapons field.
UN officials acknowledge they did not check on the background of Mr Harvey McGeorge, saying he was part of a group recommended by the State Department.
Critics have put the blame on the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, who dropped other, experienced inspectors because Iraq objected to them having been 'too aggressive' in the past.
Former inspectors also say rules requiring applicants to quit their government jobs meant some of the best-qualified people had not applied, leaving positions to be filled by private-sector applicants such as Mr McGeorge.
UN officials sprung to the defence of their inspection team but acknowledged they had not been able to conduct serious background checks.
'As the UN, with people applying from many countries, we do not have the capability to do that. How would you check?' said a UN spokesman.
Mr McGeorge is a former Marine and Secret Service specialist who offers seminars about making weapons out of chemical and biological agents at US$595 (S$1,048) a time.
For nearly 20 years he has run his own firm, Public Safety Group Inc, selling bio-terror products to governments.
He does not have a degree in a field such as biochemistry, bacteriology or chemical engineering which the UN says it wants in its inspectors.
An Internet search revealed him to be co-founder and past president of a Washington-area S&M group.
He is also a former board chairman of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom.
A UN spokesman said Mr McGeorge's private life was irrelevant to his role as a munitions analyst, saying: 'He knows his subject, which is weapons... what people do in their private life, as long as it doesn't interfere with their professional life or doesn't break any laws, shouldn't be a significant issue.' --The Washington Post
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