December 11, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 6, 1423

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec 10: The 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council are unhappy with the release of a copy of Iraq’s declaration of its nuclear weapons to the United States and four other permanent members of the Council on Monday.

“We are not happy,” Mikhail Wehbe, the Syrian envoy remarked. “It is in contradiction to the political logic, to the procedural logic, to every kind of logic the Security Council used to work on.”

By reversing a Friday decision by the Council that it would hold off until the Iraqi document is screened by UN experts, Washington circumvented delay of 10 days before it received the document.

A table of contents from the declaration, released by the United States on Monday, suggests that it includes much detailed technical information about Iraq’s past secret efforts to build a nuclear weapon. It also hints at information about countries that provided Iraq with equipment for its illicit nuclear effort.

The declaration was given to the United States by Hans Blix, chief weapons inspector, following instruction by the Colombian ambassador to the United Nations, Alfonso Valdivieso, who is serving as Council’s president.

Secretary Powell called Colombian officials over the weekend to secure their cooperation with the United States’ plan, American officials said.

A Colombian diplomat acknowledged that his government had made a “political decision” to accede to Washington’s plan and wave aside objections from some of the non-permanent Council members, most notably Syria.

On Monday, American diplomats here sent the declaration to Washington, where, they said, copies of the mountains of paper and CD-ROM’s were being prepared for the four other permanent members. The diplomats said copies would be distributed through secure channels by Tuesday at the latest. France and Britain confirmed on Monday night that they had received their copies, the Times said.

One section of the table of contents released by US is called “enrichment by gaseous diffusion and gaseous centrifuge”; another is a 30-page section on “isotope separation by laser,” followed by “enrichment of lithium isotopes.”

There is also a 111-page section titled “Procurements of petrochemicals and the Design Centre,” which could detail which countries gave Iraq what equipment.

AGENCIES ADD: Anti-war demonstrators rallied in Washington on Tuesday at the start of a day of coordinated protests called across the United States against a possible war with Iraq.

Organizers said marches and rallies were planned in about 100 towns and cities to coincide with International Human Rights Day, although early signs were there would be no mass response.

Although polls show a majority of Americans support military action against Iraq if it refuses to disarm, the protesters said they believe their message is beginning to be heard by President (George W.) Bush.

“I really think this anti-war movement has slowed down the war machine. Now we’ve got to ramp it up. Public opinion is the only buffer keeping us from going to war,” said Medea Benjamin, member of the Women’s Peace Vigil at the Washington rally, which started outside an army recruitment center.—Reuters