March 28, 2003	Friday	Muharram 24, 1424

UNITED NATIONS, March 27: It is too early to say whether Iraq has chemical or biological weapons, chief United Nations arms inspector Hans Blix said on Thursday.

Blix told reporters that “everybody will be relieved” that such weapons had not been used in the first week of the US-led war on Iraq.

Asked about the discovery by US troops of protective suits and antidotes to chemical weapons in Iraq, Blix replied: “Everyone knows that they were importing atropine...

“One would have to wait for more solid information” before drawing any conclusions, he said.

Blix recalled that he said before the war began that if the Iraqis had chemical and biological weapons, they would refrain from using them.

“In the first place, the world would say they were liars, and in the second place, it would change the attitude of the world about the armed conflict,” he said, adding that scepticism would give way to greater understanding of the objectives of the United States.

“That’s a guess, and I may be wrong,” the chief UN inspector said.—AFP