US was 'dubious' from the start, says disappointed Blix

The Independent ^ | March 21, 2003 | Chris Bunting

[Mr. Mulliner]

US was 'dubious' from the start, says disappointed Blix

By Chris Bunting

21 March 2003

Hans Blix, the chief United Nations weapons inspector, said yesterday he was "disappointed" at the decision to go to war before his teams had completed their work.

Mr Blix told BBC Radio 4's Today that he was not sure Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and said UN inspectors had been getting more co-operation from the Iraqis before the US and Britain pulled the plug on their efforts. He did not believe the Security Council had intended the inspection process, initiated by resolution 1441 in November, to last less than four months.

Mr Blix, talking to reporters shortly before the first missiles struck Baghdad yesterday morning, said he was "curious" whether the Allies would find evidence of weapons of mass destruction after the war.

Intelligence given by the US to his team during their inspections had been largely discredited, he said. "We have never maintained or asserted that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, whether anthrax or nerve gas. What we have said is that their reporting on it demonstrated great lacunae in the accounting.

"But having something unaccounted for is not the same thing as saying it does exist ... If they don't have it, then it is very difficult for them to give the evidence. When the Americans go in, they will be able to ask people who will no longer be in fear and if the Iraqis have something, they will probably be led to it.

"I am very curious to see if they find something. The paradox is, if they don't find something, then you have sent in 250,000 men to wage war in order to find nothing."

Asked how he felt about having to withdraw his inspection teams, Mr Blix said: "It is clearly a disappointment. We began about three-and-a-half months ago and I think we made a very rapid start."

Mr Blix said he thought the US had been dubious from the beginning of the inspection process that it would lead to Iraqi disarmament.

"The resolution adopted last autumn was one that was extremely demanding and perhaps they doubted the Iraqis would go along with it," he said.

"But the Iraqis did co-operate with us and [the Americans] lost patience some time at the end of January or the beginning of February."

[Mr. Mulliner]

Hey Hans, is Iraq in material breach yet?

[thoughtomator]

Think someone mentioned the SCUDs to Hans yet?

[steveegg]

Yo, Hans. You couldn't find the Scuds, you refused to do anything more than watch the Iraqis destroy the Al Samouds at a torturously-slow rate, you decided that trying to account for 10,000 liters of anthrax wasn't all that important,... (do I really need to go on?)

[LBGA]

Sheesh! They fired scuds on Wednesday. Scuds they didn't have. After 4 1/2 months of not finding them while Blix was playing hide-and-seek with the Iraqis, they were able to find them pretty quickly when we said "ready or not, here we come."

[Clara Lou]

Blix, the fence-straddler-- a great symbol of the utter uselessness of the UN.

[Paul Atreides]

Sit down Hans, and just do what you've been doing: being useless.

[TLBSHOW]

THE UNITED NATIONS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COMMUNIST GROUP OF WHICH THE US HAS NO BUSINESS BEING A PART OF.

[EllaMinnow]

An "ignorance is Blix" pingarooni!

[Mr. Mulliner]

Last night when Peter Jennings reported about the SCUDS, he made a point of saying that their range was within the allowable limit under the UN resolution. From what I know that was false, but it is total insanity that Peter Jennings thinks he has to lie about it to protect his idols, Hans Blix and Saddam Hussein.

[pipecorp]

I think someone mis-understood Hansundfeet, He was trying to say " The US is DUBYA'S." not dubious.

[FredZarguna]

Given Enough Hands, Would Eventually Find Own @ss, Says Blix.

[Natural Law]

Obviously this whole thing is our fault.

[Mr. Mulliner]

LOL!

[LBGA]

That's unbelievable! I can remember in the early 80's when I thought Jennings was the most reasonable of the three anchors. He sure works hard at harming the country which has given him so much. Sure wish he would go back to Canada.

[goodnesswins]

Hans couldn't find his own butt with his own two hands and his mother....sheesh.

[PISANO]

Your point is well taken. This is what happens when a CEASE FIRE AGREEMENT or the ARTICLES OF SURRENDER are NOT held to a ZERO TOLERANCE level. Let violations go on and on for 12 years and guess what. The SCUDS that were launched the past few days WHILE ILLEGAL are now tsk tsk....no big deal because they are not considered WMD's.

[BRL]

Hans is currently irrelevant

[PoisedWoman]

LOL. but how can you be sure?

[Lil'freeper]

For someone so concerned about global warming he sure is spewing a lot of hot air.

[dennisw]

This Euro-whore works both sides of the street.