ElBaradei, Blix leave Iraq with optimism: ‘Change of heart’ seen
BAGHDAD, Feb 9: Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Sunday saw a positive change in Iraq’s attitude towards disarmament demands after two days of key talks with Iraqi authorities.
Mr ElBaradei said he was seeing a “change of heart” from Iraq about compliance with UN disarmament demands and added that he was leaving Baghdad with a sense of “cautious optimism”.
“We’re beginning to see a change of heart on the part of Iraq,” Mr ElBaradei told a press conference in Baghdad.
“We made good progress ... We are leaving with a sense of cautious optimism,” he said.
But Mr ElBaradei added that “Iraqi cooperation in all areas has to be simultaneous.”
Mr Blix earlier said that he too “detected the beginning of a serious attitude on the part of the Iraqis on substance.”
His visit to Baghdad with Mr ElBaradei was the “beginning of taking those outstanding (disarmament) issues more seriously,” Mr Blix said.
He said Iraq’s cooperation on the process of disarmament
resolution 1441 had been prompt and practical but said it was less forthcoming on the
substance.
“Access (to suspect sites) has been prompt and practical,” Mr Blix told a press conference here after crucial talks to assess Baghdad’s compliance with UN directives.
“Cooperation on the process (of resolution 1441) has been good,” said Mr Blix.
Cooperation on the substance of the resolution was “less good”, he added.
The chief inspector announced that Iraq had provided the UN with documents on anthrax and its Al-Fatah and Al-Sumoud missiles.
He told reporters that Iraq had agreed to form a commission to look for all documents pertaining to weapons programmes.
Mr Blix also said that Iraq had promised a response by Friday to a UN request for use of U2 surveillance planes.
They are to present their findings to the UN Security Council on Feb 14.—AFP
BAGHDAD, Feb 9: Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Sunday saw a positive change in Iraq’s attitude towards disarmament demands after two days of key talks with Iraqi authorities.
