Iraq 'left large gaps in arms declaration'
Chief UN inspector Hans Blix has given a preview of what he will tell the UN Security Council in statements since he left Baghdad last weekend, saying that Iraq vowed it had no more documents on its past weapons of mass destruction programmes than it submitted to the United Nations on December 7. Mr Blix told reporters that when questions arose about data concerning anthrax, the deadly VX nerve gas or Scud missiles, the Iraqis "simply say there is nothing left of this, and there is no evidence that we can view, there are no more documents." He said he had not been given the go-head to interview Iraqi scientists in private, as the Security Council has authorised, with Iraq sending as many as five minders to every inspector. Mr Blix also has had difficulties getting assurances that Iraq won't shoot at American U-2 spy planes, loaned to the United Nations to survey inspection sites, when they are in the US-British no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq. Laboratory reports on recently discovered chemical warhead shells, most of them empty, are not yet ready, although few believe they will disclose active toxins.
In issuing their assessment to the UN Security Council today, Mr Blix, in charge of chemical, biological and ballistic teams, and his colleague Mohammed El-Baradei, responsible for nuclear arms programmes, will not be certain if Iraq is rebuilding its banned weapons. But their report will probably bolster US claims that Iraq has violated a key November 8 resolution, No 1441, by still not coming up with requested data in its 12,000-page arms declaration and not actively co-operating with the inspectors in other areas. The United States has already declared Iraq in "material breach" of the November 8 resolution, legal words that can lead to warfare.
