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Weapons inspectors in Iraq |
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| IRAQ: THE EVIDENCE SO FAR |
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Saddam Hussein denies having weapons of mass destruction and says he has cooperated fully with UN weapons inspectors.
Given his past record, many are deeply sceptical about his claims, not least the United States. So what evidence is there, other than America's, to suggest Iraq does possess banned nuclear, chemical and biological weapons? Dr Hans Blix, chief UN weapons inspector:
- Dr Blix told the Security Council large quantities of missiles and deadly biological and chemical agents, including anthrax and VX nerve gas, had still not been properly accounted for by the Baghdad regime. - Dr Blix said Iraq's 12,000 page weapons declaration to the Security Council on December 7 had failed to address many of the outstanding issues raised in reports by the old inspection teams before they were forced to leave in 1998. - There were indications that Iraq had "weaponised" the lethal VX nerve agents, despite claiming to have unilaterally destroyed the "small quantities" it produced after the 1991 Gulf War, he said. - Documents among the few new papers released to the inspectors suggested there were 6,500 chemical bombs unaccounted for containing in the order of 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents. - Twelve empty chemical rocket warheads discovered by inspectors earlier in January might only be the "tip of a submerged iceberg" with several thousand more unaccounted for. - There was "no convincing evidence" to verify Iraqi claims that they had destroyed 8,500 litres of anthrax which they possessed in 1991 and there were "strong indications" that more may have been produced and might still exist. - Another 650 kilos of bacterial growth material - sufficient to produce 5,000 litres of concentrated anthrax - was still unaccounted for. - Dr Blix said Iraq had also refurbished its missile production infrastructure and was working on two missile projects which could exceed the maximum 150 km range imposed by the UN, even though the Iraqis said those supplied to the military were within the limit. - He said as recently as December Iraq was illegally importing banned materials for its missile programmes, including 300 rocket motors and chemicals used in the manufacture of propellants. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency:
- Mr Elbareidi said his team had not so far found evidence that Iraq had tried to revive its old nuclear weapons programme but would need "several months" to be sure. President Bush:
- In his State of the Union address, George Bush said Saddam had not accounted for up to 25,000 litres of anthrax, 38,000 litres of botulism toxin, 500 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agent and upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical weapons. The International Institute of Strategic Studies, an independent body:
- The IISS reported last September that Iraq had probably retained hundreds of tonnes of mustard gas, as well as similar amounts of chemicals used to make nerve agents. - It was also capable of resuming production of biological weapons in a matter of weeks from existing civilian facilities. - The regime could already have thousands of litres of anthrax left over from pre-1991 stocks, said the IISS. - Substantial amounts of anthrax, botulism toxin and other biological agents such as ricin and aflatoxin might have been produced since 1998. |
