Blix warns Iraq that it must do more

Chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix today told the world Iraq still had banned missiles and had not accounted for stocks of anthrax and VX nerve agent it was known to possess.

His long-awaited report to the UN security council disclosed that experts had determined the al Samoud II missile system and 380 engines imported to power it were in breach of UN resolutions.

He also told diplomats in New York that “many proscribed weapons and items” believed to be held by Iraq have not yet been accounted for.

But Dr Blix said that Iraq had reduced its ratio of “minders” from five per inspector to around one per inspector and said access had always been agreed to sites.

He said that in his previous report to the security council he had pointed out that Iraq had yet to comply fully on the “substance” of UN resolution 1441.

“In the current situation one would expect Iraq to be eager to comply,” said Dr Blix.

But he implied that co-operation was still not forthcoming saying: “The period of disarmament could still be short if ‘immediate, active, unconditional co-operation’ were to be forthcoming.”