Iraq ready to resolve all arms issues: Inspectors to visit on 8th
BAGHDAD, Feb 2: Iraq’s chief arms monitoring body said on Sunday Baghdad was keen to resolve any pending disarmament issues when top UN inspectors visit next weekend.
But Hussam Mohammad Amin, head of the National Monitoring Directorate, gave away little on two main issues — U-2 overflights and private interviews with Iraqi scientists.
He said UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection (UNMOVIC) chief Hans Blix and UN nuclear watchdog head Mohamed ElBaradei had confirmed they would visit Baghdad on Feb 8-9, before reporting back to the Security Council on Feb 14.
“We are keen to resolve any pending issues from UNMOVIC’s point of view,” Mr Amin said.
Mr Amin said Mr Blix had not put any conditions on his visit in a letter to Iraq but expressed hope some issues would be resolved.
“We will do our best to make his visit successful,” he said.
But when asked about U-2 overflights and private interviews, Mr Amin said: “I think that our position from those two points are positive and Iraq did its best to resolve those two points.”
He said Iraq had agreed to the U-2 high-altitude surveillance overflights but the inspectors asked Iraq to secure the safety of the planes. Mr Amin said Iraq asked for a suspension of US and British patrols over two “no-fly” zones during the overflights.
“How could we secure the safety of the U-2 airplane while such warfare is going on? It is so difficult,” he said.
On the private interviews, he said Iraqi authorities could not force anyone to submit to them.
“We agreed ... to encourage the scientists to go through private interviews but we can’t force them,” Mr Amin said.
He said Foreign Minister Naji Sabri had written to the Security Council, detailing Iraq’s response to points raised by Mr Blix in his report to the Council on Jan 27 which, he said, had been “excessively exaggerated”.
Mr Amin said the new round of talks would focus on “beefing up transparency and complete cooperation”, continuing implementation of a January agreement to step up cooperation and joint discussions on re-establishing an enhanced monitoring system.
He said the talks would also touch on Mr Blix’s report. Mr Blix said in his report that Iraq was cooperating on procedure but not substance and remarked that several questions remained on chemical and biological weapons.
Amin said the inspectors had visited 548 sites — including 84 which had never been inspected before — since they resumed inspections on Nov 27 after a four-year gap.
He denied US and British reports that Iraq had mobile units which produce biological agents, saying Iraq had purchased a portable lab from a British company to test the validity of imported foodstuffs.
Another lab did not meet specifications and would be returned, Mr Amin said, adding that inspectors had visited both units.—Reuters
