Probe for Iraqi weapons should have continued - Blix

[Henk Elegeert]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=6502&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect

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Probe for Iraqi weapons should have continued - Blix

18 March – Speaking on the day the last United Nations
weapons monitors were withdrawn from Iraq, the top
inspector, Hans Blix, today said he feels the inspections
should not have been stopped at this stage.

"I don't think it is reasonable to close the door to
inspections after three and a half months," Mr. Blix, Executive Chairman
of
the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC),
said in answer to questions during a briefing of the UN Correspondents
Association in New York. He added that he did not think Security Council
resolution 1441, adopted in November, foresaw such a short inspection
time.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday ordered the withdrawal of all
UN personnel, including UNMOVIC inspectors, after receiving information
from the United Kingdom and United States regarding the continued safety
and security of UN personnel in Iraq.

Mr. Blix, who is to discuss a work plan of remaining disarmament issues
tomorrow at the Security Council, also said the inspectors had never
asserted that Iraq had any remaining weapons of mass destruction, only
that
there were a lot of things unaccounted for. It would be interesting, he
added,
to see what would come out when people go in and can go anywhere and
examine the sort of intelligence the inspectors never had access to.

He also said he did not think Iraq would use chemical or biological
weapons
in a war with a US-led coalition, although it had the know-how to
produce
and deliver chemical weapons.

"I think it is unlikely they will do that because I think world public
opinion,
which they study quite a lot, is in large measure feeling that going to
war is
too early," he said. "So there is a fair amount of scepticism about
armed
action. That scepticism would turn immediately around if they used
chemical
weapons or biological weapons. My guess is they would not."

Asked if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government would care if it
was
about to be overthrown, he said: "Some people care about their
reputation
even after death."
"

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