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Politics : Attack Iraq? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (3011)	11/19/2002 5:00:03 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 8683

jewishworldreview.com

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (3011)	11/19/2002 5:24:39 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 8683

Iraq promises to meet Dec. 8 deadline for disclosing weapons URL:http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-11-19-iraq-inspectors_x.htm BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.N. inspectors urged Iraqi officials Tuesday to review carefully their long-standing claims they have no more weapons of mass destruction, as Baghdad pledged to meet a Dec. 8 deadline to disclose all information about its arms programs. An Iraqi soldier gives way to a bus carrying members of a U.N. weapons inspection team upon arrival at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad Tuesday. By Hussein Malla, AP With the United States closely watching for any Iraqi infractions — and warning it has adopted a "zero-tolerance" approach to Iraq — differences also emerged Tuesday between the United Nations and Washington over what constitutes Iraqi violations. Chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix said that if the Iraqis stick with their claim they have no more weapons of mass destruction, they must provide convincing documentation by the promised deadline. "We don't think that has yet been convincingly done." "We have tried to impress on them they must look into their stocks and stores and see if there's something they should declare," Blix said late Tuesday. "The production of mustard gas is not like the production of marmalade ... You're supposed to keep some track of what you produce. There must be documentation, records of what was produced." Meeting the Dec. 8 deadline is a key initial demand laid down in the new U.N. resolution aimed at peacefully disarming Iraq. President Bush has threatened military action if Iraq fails to cooperate with the resolution that sent inspectors back to Baghdad after a four-year absence. Asked by reporters if Iraq would meet the deadline, presidential adviser Amir al-Saadi responded in English: "Yes. Within 30 days (of passage of the U.N. resolution), as the resolution says, a report from Iraq will be submitted on all the files of nuclear, chemical, biological and missile files." Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the Iraqi delegation had confirmed it had not developed any nuclear weapons capacity since inspectors left Iraq in December 1998 ahead of U.S. bombing strikes on Baghdad. Iraq did not allow inspectors to return. Earlier, ElBaradei told Associated Press Television News and Egypt's Nile television that Iraq promised to declare "all of its activities in the chemical, biological and nuclear fields, even those of civilian use." ElBaradei, speaking in Arabic, said the Iraqis were cooperating so far and had pledged to continue doing so. "We hope that this oral commitment will be translated into fact when we begin inspections next week," he added. Al-Saadi, asked if Iraq was prepared to grant inspectors unfettered access, replied: "Yes, as stipulated in the resolution and as we have agreed with them." The inspections are considered President Saddam Hussein's last chance to avoid war with the United States. Washington has said toppling Saddam might be the only way to contain the threat it believes Iraq poses to the world with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Blix and his team arrived in Baghdad on Monday as allied warplanes bombed Iraqi air defense systems in the northern no-fly zone. The U.S. military said the attack was launched after Iraqi gunners fired on the jets during routine patrols. In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the Iraqi anti-aircraft fire "appears to be a violation" of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution. However, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan took issue with that interpretation, telling reporters in Kosovo, "I don't think the council will say that this is in contravention of the resolution that was recently passed." The 15-member council never explicitly approved the flights over northern and southern Iraq, which Baghdad considers violations of its sovereignty. U.N. Ambassador Wang Yingfan of China, a veto-wielding member of the council, said Beijing had "a different understanding" than Washington about whether Iraq's anti-aircraft fire violated the new resolution. The United States is anxious for intrusive inspections to determine as soon as possible whether Iraq is serious about cooperating. Blix, a 74-year-old Swedish diplomat, favors a more cautious approach aimed at building trust with the Iraqis, who resent the entire inspection program. In Moscow, Iraq's ambassador to Russia repeated Baghdad's long-standing contention it no longer has weapons of mass destruction, saying it would not be possible to hide them in presidential palaces and mosques — sensitive sites to which inspectors are now permitted free access. "It's clear to everyone that for the storage of nuclear warheads, certain conditions, certain procedures, are necessary," Ambassador Abbas Khalaf said. "A nuclear weapon can't be hidden under a pillow." The U.N. team must verify Iraq is free of proscribed weapons before the U.N. Security Council will lift strict economic sanctions imposed after Saddam invaded Kuwait in 1990. ElBaradei said that if Iraq cooperates with inspectors, they can report within one year to the Security Council that conditions have been met for suspending sanctions on Iraq. Later, after further checks, he said sanctions could be lifted. Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.