Iraq move positive, says Blix

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday called Iraq’s destruction of its missiles a positive development but said the UN Security Council would have to decide whether Baghdad had met disarmament requirements.

“It is a positive development,” Annan told reporters about Iraq’s scrapping of 19 Al Samoud 2 missiles as ordered by weapons inspectors.

But Annan said it was up to the Security Council to evaluate the future of disarmament in Iraq and decide on war.

“I think the council’s decision will be based on the totality of the presentation by the inspectors,” he said. “The council has the right to declare a further military breach at any time based on the reports of the inspectors.”

Chief inspector Hans Blix and his colleague Mohammed ElBaradei, in charge of nuclear arms teams, are to address the 15-member Security Council on Friday.