Global Policy Forum

By Martin Banks

In an astonishing hour-long briefing to a delegation of left-wing Euro deputies on the eve of his latest report to the UN Security Council, Blix said the case for war put by Colin Powell was "not very convincing" in its entirety, and that he believes Saddam Hussein has made a serious start to disarmament.

However, he admitted that it would need "something significant" to happen in the next few days to avert military action. "Clearly, some members of the UN Security Council have lost their patience with Iraq and the US seems very close to moving from using the threat of military action to actual use of force. "Most people think that the US has already decided and set a date for military action. If they have, they have not told me. But there is certain momentum to all this [the build-up in the Gulf]. Something significant will have to happen on the ground in Iraq in the next few days to stop war," he said.

Although he has not specifically requested it, Blix confirmed he would welcome more time for the inspectors to complete their mission. "Iraq has been very cooperative in some respects. We have no complaints about the help they have given us in setting up our infrastructure in the country."

He hailed Iraq's decision to start destroying its banned al-Samoud 2 missiles as a significant development. Some 28 missiles had been dismantled by last night (5 March). "The US has said this is a ‘distraction' but I would not say that. I think it is the start of a real disarmament. It is too early to close the door and, if more time is given to the inspectors, I would welcome it."

Blix claimed that Iraq was now trying "very hard" to be more "proactive" in working with his 100-strong team, but admitted they could have done this earlier. The Swede underlined that "many questions" remain unanswered by Baghdad, particularly on the extent of any weapons of mass destruction it may still have. "It is up to the Iraqis to answer these," he said.

"They have to produce the documentation regarding the weapons they may have and what they have done with them." He was particularly critical of Iraq's initial insistence that interviews with scientists should not be conducted without a minder being present or them being taped – up to last night only seven had been interviewed without restrictions.

"The fact is we simply do not yet fully know what the Iraqis have in terms of hidden supplies of things like mustard gas, anthrax and such like," said Blix. He described the 12,000-page dossier Iraq had presented to the inspectors as "disappointing", because it provided no telling new information.

And despite expressing some scepticism about Secretary of State Powell's presentation to the Security Council on 5 February, Blix reminded the MEPs that Resolution 1441 puts the onus on Iraq to prove it does not possess weapons of mass destruction. "It is not for me to decide if there will be war or peace. That is for the UN. On Friday, I will simply present the facts as I know them," he added.

The 21-strong delegation of MEPs, which included representatives of the Socialist, Green/European Free Alliance, European United Left/Nordic Green Left and Europe of Democracies and Diversities groups, also met United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan during their four-day visit to New York. Irish Green Patricia McKenna presented him with a petition calling for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis.

Signed by MEPs and national parliamentarians from 20 countries, it was also being delivered to every member of the Security Council. "The message we have tried to get over is that we are not anti-American. We are simply opposed to the American policy on Iraq," said McKenna.

Speaking after the meeting with Annan, senior delegation member Paul Lannoye said: "He told us that if there was a vote on a second resolution today it would be defeated as he did not think the US would be able to muster the nine votes required.

"He said that the use of force must be very much a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. It was clear to us that he favours – as we do – giving the inspectors more time to do their work and remains optimistic there will be peaceful solution to the crisis." The Belgian Green said he believed the MEPs had been successful in getting their message across: "It is clearly becoming more and more difficult for the US to justify a war." Danish member Ulla Sandbaek insisted she was "more confident war can be avoided than I was at the start of the week".

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