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Archived Articles

Bush Administration Tore 8,000 Pages Out Of Iraq WMD Report (December 22, 2002)
The Scotland Sunday Herald discusses the implications of the US "theft" of the Iraqi arms declaration. Though the five permanent members of the UN Security Council obtained the full version of the report, the ten elected members will have a shortened, "sanitized" version. What will then be the legitimacy of the Security Council as a whole to decide on an eventual "material breach"?

Iraq Defends Arms Report (December 22, 2002)
Baghdad, ready to answer any questions about its weapons' declaration raised in Washington and London, said it would allow the CIA to come and check "suspect sites." Presidential Adviser Amir al-Saadi addresses specific questions raised by the US and UK, which found that "Baghdad's declaration fell short of meeting the UN resolution to disarm Iraq." (Reuters)

US Is to Release Spy Data on Iraq to Aid Inspectors (December 21, 2002)
Following Hans Blix's complaints that the US was reluctant to provide information, Washington now appears to be willing to "experiment" with data sharing. The White House justifies its secretive attitude by arguing that UNSCOM "had a very difficult time keeping information from falling into Iraqi hands" in the past. (New York Times)

In Blix's Words (December 19, 2002)
Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC Hans Blix's presented these notes at the Security Council briefing regarding inspections in Iraq and the preliminary evaluation of Iraq's declaration of weapons of mass destruction as stated in resolution 1441. (New York Times)

In Negroponte's Words (December 19, 2002)
The US was the only member of the Security Council to declare Iraq in "material breach." Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte made this statement after the Council's consultations and Hans Blix's briefing on Iraq's weapons declaration. (New York Times)

Syria to Boycott UN Meeting on Iraqi Arms Dossier (December 19, 2002)
Syria refuses to take part in Security Council discussions on Iraq since it has not seen the full copy of the Iraqi declaration. Syria sent their 3,500-page long, edited version back to the UN inspection commission and demanded to see the 12,000-page original. (Reuters)

No New Information in Iraqi Dossier (December 19, 2002)
The UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix briefed the Security Council of his official report of Iraq's declaration. The declaration does not, according to Blix, contain much new information about Iraq's weapons programs but "a good bit of information about non-arms related activities." (Guardian)

Who Armed Iraq? (December 18, 2002)
German newspaper Die Tageszeitung reveals the name of some German and US corporations and government agencies that illegally helped build Iraq's weapons program. (Democracy NOW!)

Germany Was "Key Supplier" of Saddam Supplier (December 18, 2002)
Iraq names more than 80 German and about 24 US companies that have supported Iraq in its weapons program since mid 1970s. According to the weapons declaration, some companies broke the international weapons embargo by trading with Iraq until 2001. (Guardian)

Tensions at UN over Iraq dossier (December 17, 2002)
The US, as the only country to comment on the Iraqi dossier, states its "well-founded skepticism" over the declaration while other members wait for reports from UNMOVIC and IAEA before making judgments. The 10 non-permanent members, still irritated about the US's dealing with the declaration, will now receive a censored version. (BBC)

List Includes US Firms That Aided Iraqis (December 13, 2002)
Iraq's weapons declaration contains "embarrassing information" on US companies that helped Iraq to develop chemical and biological weapons in the 1980s. The list may show that the US government was involved in giving Iraq both military and financial assistance up until Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. (Newsday)

Iraq Arms Report Has Big Omissions, US Officials Say (December 13, 2002)
After a preliminary evaluation, the US found big lapses in Iraq's declaration, while IAEA officials claim the declaration supports Iraq's position that it hasn't had a nuclear weapons program since 1998. The US expects a point-by-point comparison with US intelligence to take weeks. (New York Times)

Iraq Report Table of Contents (December 10, 2002)
The United States has released the table of contents for Iraq's 12,000-page declaration of weapons of mass destruction. (New York Times)

Russia Denounces External Pressure on UN Officials in Iraq (December 10, 2002)
Russia criticizes US pressure on UN weapons inspectors and warns the US against using the conflict over Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as a pretext for unilateral military action for regime change in Iraq. (Agence France Press)

US Is First to Get a Copy of Report on Iraqi Weapons (December 10, 2002)
The US reversed a Security Council decision by taking possession of Iraq's declaration of its weapons programs to make its own investigation and comparisons to US intelligence. Meanwhile the elected 10 members, which are all non- nuclear nations, will probably not obtain unfiltered copies of the report. (New York Times)

A Game of Cat and Mouse With Inspectors (December 3, 2002)
UNMOVIC inspectors find themselves in a tricky situation, under the pressure of divergent US and Iraqi interests. In their search for a pretext to go to war, hawks from the Bush administration do not want inspections to succeed. (New York Times /International Herald Tribune)

Butler Wary of Blix (November 26, 2002)
In an interview on CNN, former head of UNMOVIC Richard Butler flatly discredits his successor and current chief of inspections, Hans Blix. Mr. Butler's frequent appearances on public television reveal the US hawks' deliberate attempt to undermine the inspections in a push for war.

Iraq's Nuclear Non-Capability (November 21, 2002)
Imad Khadduri, who worked for the Iraqi nuclear program from 1968 until 1998, calls the present allegations about Iraq's nuclear capability "ridiculous". (Yellow Times)

Inspections or Not, We'll Attack Iraq (November 21, 2002)
Dr Richard Perle, top security advisor to President Bush, insists that the US will attack Iraq even if UN inspectors do not find any weapons. According to Perle, all Mr Blix can know result from his own investigations and "that does not prove Saddam does not have weapons of mass destruction." (Mirror/UK)

As Arms Inspectors Arrive, Row Erupts Over US Smears (November 19, 2002)
The UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix accuses hawks in Washington of running a smear campaign. The hawks claim that Mr. Blix may fail to find the allegedly hidden weapons in Iraq and that he will not stand up to Iraqi pressure. The criticism intensified after Mr. Blix stated "he favored cooperation with the Iraqis rather than confrontation." (Guardian)

Disingenuous Disarmament: Weapons Inspection is All a Game (November 17, 2002)
The weapons inspections will fail, predicts Scott Ritter, former UN inspector in Iraq, as they did in the past. According to Ritter, the Bush administration' s "intention is regime removal and using the weapons inspections as a way to trigger military action that will achieve regime removal, which in itself violates international law." (San Francisco Chronicle)

Inspectors' Mission Faces Long Odds (November 17, 2002)
The UN weapons inspectors know two things for sure. First, that their mission will determine whether a devastating war in Iraq will take place. Second, that some US hawks desperately seek their failure. (Observer)

Former Weapons Inspector Says War with Iraq Inevitable (November 14, 2002)
Former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter argues that the new UN resolution 1441 will allow the US to attack Iraq by mid-December. According to Ritter, President Bush wants inspections to fail because a success would lead to the lifting of sanctions and a recovering Iraq with Saddam Hussein still in power. (Associated Press)

Iraq Accepts UN Resolution (November 13, 2002)
Iraq accepts with "no conditions, no reservations" the new Security Council Resolution 1441 and the return of weapons inspectors into Iraq after 4 years of absence. (Associated Press)

Action on Weapons of Mass Destruction (2002)
Victorian Peace Network shows how several nations other than Iraq hold stockpiles of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. This fact sheet outlines the different international treaties on weapons of mass destruction, the provisions included therein, as well as rates of (non)compliance by nations.

Iraq Inspections Receive Approval From Arab League (November 11, 2002)
Arab leaders hope to stop an immediate strike on Iraq by accepting resolution 1441. Furthermore, the League calls for the cessation of sanctions against Iraq, which have had disastrous humanitarian consequences, and proposes that the UN should pay equal attention to Israel's weapons of mass destruction. (New York Times)

UN Plans Immediate Test of Iraq Inspections (November 10, 2002)
The new resolution on Iraq states that any "false statements or omissions" regarding weapons sites would constitute a "material breach of Iraq's obligations." Now focus turns to how these violations will be determined. (New York Times)

Security Council Approves Resolution on Iraq (November 8, 2002)
The Security Council unanimously adopted the US-UK hard-line resolution on Iraq. Some consider the text as being a resolution for war, and the US Ambassador himself stated that "this resolution does not constrain any member state from acting to defend itself from the threat posed by Iraq." (Associated Press)

Notes For The Briefing To The Security Council (October 28, 2002)
UNMOVIC Executive Chairman Dr. Hans Blix briefs the Security Council and presents his stand on the role of inspectors, saying that member states' intelligence cannot "expect us to conform to a common two-way pattern of exchange."

Remarks by Dr. Hans Blix & Dr. Mohamed El Baradei at the Security Council Stake-Out (October 28, 2002)
In the debate on a resolution on Iraq, both sides claim that the remarks made by the chiefs of UNMOVIC Dr. Hans Blix and IAEA Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, favor their positions. According to this unofficial transcript Dr. Blix supports a new tough resolution and stresses the importance of the Security Council. (US Mission to the UN)

A Diplomat Who Won't Take 'No' (October 5, 2002)
Calling himself "the servant of the Security Council," Hans Blix is under enormous pressure: he needs to avoid a war in Iraq and still be considered impartial. (New York Times)

US Hardline on Iraq Leaves Full-Scale Invasion a 'Hair-Trigger' Away (October 3, 2002)
The Guardian accuses the US of trying to "transform the inspections process into a coercive operation," and describes the process as "the first step towards a military occupation" of Iraq.

"Iraq's Reply on Blair's Report" (October 2, 2002)
This report from the Iraqi foreign ministry provides technical details refuting the British dossier "Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction." It accuses British Prime Minister Tony Blair for refusing to send a team of British inspectors to Iraq in order to promote his "lies and fabrications." (BBC)

Yes, Let's Go Into Iraq With an Army of Inspectors (September 15, 2002)
In the Washington Post, former head of UNSCOM, Rolf Ekeus, provides many reasons to trust a renewed UN inspection system. He suggests that the chief of UNMOVIC has the power to call upon a military backup force, "preferably under an American commander," without Security Council approval.

A New Approach: Coercive Inspections
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace balances earlier inspections against an invasion in Iraq. This new report proposes a third approach, in which the UN Security Council would create a multinational military force able to deal effectively with weapons inspections.

Target Baghdad (September, 2002)
This Le Monde Diplomatique's analysis shows that Bush administration's assumed "compelling" arguments to intervene in Iraq are plagued by the hypocrisy and double standars.

Ex-Inspector Doubts Iraq Capability (September 08, 2002)
Ex-UN inspector in Iraq Scott Ritter states that Baghdad is incapable of producing weapons of mass destruction and is not a threat to anyone outside its borders. (Associated Press)

Attacking Iraq (September 04, 2002)
This analysis by Aaron Mati shows several aspects of the hypocrisy in the United States' operation of weapons of mass destruction, such as in the manipulation of the UNSCOM inspection process and the direct violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. (ZNet)

Pressure on Bush to Back Off: Global Outcry Against Iraq (August 29, 2002)
As the Bush administration plans its pre-emptive attack against Baghdad, many governments express opposition to military action. Stressing that war is not inevitable, the UK considers asking the UN to impose a deadline for the return of inspectors. (Guardian)

Iraq Offers UN New Deal (August 12, 2002)
Baghdad has accepted the return of UN weapons inspectors and "all the UN resolutions," reports British MP George Galloway after meeting with Saddam Hussein. Mr. Galloway challenges the US, the UK and the UN to explore the offer, now considered a "diversionary tactic" to avoid invasion. (Guardian)

Saddam Warns Against Iraq Attack (August 8, 2002)
Saddam Hussein has made a speech warning against an attack on Iraq. Claiming that "peaceful dialogue is the way forward," Hussein has invited UN arms teams to visit the country for talks but the US dismissed the move as "a ploy." (BBC)

Go On, Call Bush's Bluff (July 22, 2002)
"The US Department of Defense and the CIA know perfectly well that today's Iraq poses no threat," affirms former UN humanitarian aid coordinator for Iraq, Hans Von Sponeck. Only the return of arms inspectors in Iraq can prove it and avoid a war. (Guardian)

Torpedoing the Inspectors: The US Undermines the UN Weapons Inspectors (July 13, 2002)
Active Resistance to the Roots of War reports on how the US "is attempting to torpedo fragile UN-led efforts to return weapons inspectors to Iraq - with leaked threats, and (…) refusing to answer reasonable questions about its intentions."

UN Wants Decisive Talks with Iraqi Regimes on Arms Experts (June 8, 2002)
The UN has high hopes that the breakthrough in the current deadlock of UNMOVIC's arms inspectors will arrive in the coming talks between the UN and Iraq in Vienna on July 3-4. (Reuters)

Security Council Tries to Ease Tensions Between US and Iraq (May 23, 2002)
Diplomats in the Security Council are quietly working to prevent US military action against Iraq by trying to persuade Saddam Hussein's government to allow the return of weapons inspectors. Failure of such tactic would strengthen those in the Bush administration who favor a military option. (New York Times )

Iraq Considering UN Inspectors (May 16, 2002)
Rumors circulate that Iraq, which "grudgingly accepted" the changes in the sanctions, might allow the return of inspectors. Ambassador Cunningham, the US Deputy Representative at the UN, comments on the evolution of the situation. (Associated Press)

Top UN Weapons Inspector Wants Iraq to Prove it Has No Weapons of Mass Destruction (May 10, 2002)
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix insists that the UN needs hard proof, "not a mere invite, to determine whether Iraq has dismantled chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, along with the missiles to deliver them." However, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri opposes inspectors as long as the US continues its call for regime change in Baghdad. (Associated Press)

UN's Blix Says "No Green Light" From Iraq for Return of Arms Inspectors (May 10, 2002)
In an interview with the London-based Arabic daily "Al-Hayat", chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix claims that there is "no need for the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq if a US-led military strike against that country [is] inevitable." (Deutsche Presse-Agentur )

US Threats Overshadow UN-Iraq Disarmament Talks (May 1, 2002)
Iraq's UN ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, wants to raise all pending issues with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, including "the US-British imposed no-flight zone, American threats against Baghdad and UN sanctions imposed when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990." (Reuters)

Iraq to Resume Talks With UN on Vexed Question of Arms Inspectors (April 24, 2002)
Iraqi officials will meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on May 1, 2002, to conduct a "direct dialogue" on the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq. The review of Iraq's "oil-for-food" program at the end of May could prove a complicating factor in the upcoming talks (Agence France Presse)

If Iraq Bends, UN Inspectors Are Ready (April 7, 2002)
Hans Blix, Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMVIC), prepares a team of potential inspectors to determine whether Iraq has made progress in developing weapons of mass destruction should Baghdad grant access. (New York Times)

UN Inspector Tells Council Work in Iraq Could Be Fast (March 22, 2002)
Chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix maintains that his inspectors can "accomplish their disarmament tasks in Iraq in less than a year," if Baghdad allows their return and cooperates with the inspection. (New York Times)

Wolfowitz Had CIA Probe UN Diplomat in Charge (April 15, 2002)
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz asked the CIA to investigate the performance of Swedish diplomat Hans Blix, who heads the UN weapons inspection team for Iraq. "Wolfowitz ‘hit the ceiling' because the investigation failed to provide sufficient ammunition to undermine Blix and, by association, the new UN weapons inspection program," writes the Washington Post.

Egypt to Press Iraq on UN Inspections, Cheney Is Told (March 14, 2002)
The Egyptian government is stepping up diplomatic pressure on Baghdad in the hope of achieving a resumption of arms inspections and averting a US military attack (New York Times)

Iraq: No Weapons Inspectors (March 11, 2002)
Iraq is determined to resist any US attack and will not allow UN inspectors into the country, according to Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan. Baghdad calls the US threat an "American-Zionist plot targeting its national sovereignty." (Agence France Presse)

Iraqis Will Face Blunt Terms in Weapons Talks at the UN (March 6, 2002)
After three years of refusing to deal with UN weapons inspectors, Iraq has recently agreed to meet with the chairman of UNMOVIC. Iraq's new policy likely results from the threat of an imminent US attack. (New York Times)

MPs Warn Blair Over Iraq (March 5, 2002)
Labour members of the UK House of Commons urged Prime Minister Tony Blair not to support military action against Iraq as a second phase in the US-lead war on terror, and to consider a more peaceful way of resuming weapons inspections. (Guardian)

Saddam Must Allow Weapons Inspectors Into Iraq or Suffer the Consequences (March 5, 2002)
In an editorial for the London Times, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw praises the virtue of "smarter sanctions" and the drafting of a new Goods Review List, passing the blame to Saddam Hussein.

The Wrong Target (March 4, 2002)
Toppling Saddam's regime and preventing him from acquiring weapons of mass destruction are two separate goals. Confusing and mixing the two goals - as the current US administration is doing - will prove to be dangerous, argues Jessica Matthews. (Washington Post)

Annan to Press Baghdad On Weapons Inspectors (February 26, 2002)
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will urge Baghdad to allow UN inspectors back into the country during a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. US officials want talks between Annan and Sabri to remain brief, "Iraq needs to comply with all UN resolutions. There is no compromise." (Washington Post)

UN Arms Monitors 'A Must' for Iraq (February 7, 2002)
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan wants a "substantive dialogue" with Baghdad on sanctions and warns that the return of UN arms inspectors is not negotiable. US Secretary of State, Collin Powel, adds that "the inspectors have to go back in, under our terms, under no one else's terms, under the terms of the Security Council resolution." (Daily Telegraph)

Iraq Proposes UN Talks, and Gets a Wary Reply (February 5, 2002)
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein wants to resume dialogue with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan without preconditions. The UN stresses that any meeting taking place will specifically address the return of arms inspectors. (New York Times)

Pressure May Make Iraq Admit UN Monitors (February 4, 2002)
Mounting international pressure may convince Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to readmit UN weapons inspectors. Baghdad pledges to send a delegation to Spain and discuss such steps with the European Union. (Reuters)

US Quiet on Iraq Inspections (January 11, 2002)
Despite President Bush's demand last month that Iraq allow a return of weapons inspectors, the US has chosen instead to focus its efforts on reaching an agreement in the Security Council to revamp sanctions. (Washington Post)

Inspectors In Iraq? (January 9, 2002)
A former UNSCOM chairman argues that the US should avoid working with the Security Council to reinstitute weapons inspections in Iraq, for fear that such a policy may constrain US autonomy in devising its own "comprehensive Iraq policy." Ceding full autonomy in favor of the rule of law, however, is precisely what member states of the United Nations are obliged to do. (Washington Post)

Iraq Urged to Allow Inspectors (December 20, 2001)
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urges Iraq to respect Security Council's resolutions and allow UN inspectors to return. Mr. Annan also cautions the US not to attack Iraq, as this would only increase tensions in the Middle East. (Reuters)

Iraq Would Need UNMOVIC To Clear Its Name From All Suspicions (December 7, 2001)
Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, believes that Iraq would not be raising suspicions of having facilitated the terrorist attacks on September 11th, if Sadam Hussain had cooperated with the inspections team years before. Blix also comments on the "goods review list", a significant element of the new resolution on the oil-for-food program related to weapons of mass destruction. (Kuna Kuwait News)

Readmit Inspectors, President Tells Iraq; 'Or Else' Is Unstated (November 26, 2001)
President George Bush is repeating demands that Saddam Hussein allow international inspectors in Iraq to verify that he is not developing weapons of mass destruction. (New York Times)

Ex-UN Inspector in Iraq: US Set Up Air Raids (July 19, 2001)
According to Scott Ritter, the former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq, the US instructed him to provoke a confrontation with Baghdad to provide Washington with an excuse to begin a bombing campaign. (CNN)

US Policy Toward Iraq: Policy Alternatives (June 2001)
This position paper from Foreign Policy in Focus gives some background information and proposes alternative US policies on arms control, economic sanctions, human rights, no-fly zones, Iraqi opposition and environmental issues in Iraq.

Did Iraq Conduct a Clandestine Nuclear Test? (June 11, 2001)
Despite testimony from former Iraqi scientists, the chief UN arms inspector affirms that Iraq has never conducted nuclear tests, implying that the international community has miscalculated the threat of Saddam Hussein's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. (Reuters)

UN Inspectors Not to Visit Iraq "While We're Alive" (May 14, 2001)
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan claims that the UN Security Council and the US will never consent to lift sanctions, so disallowing inspection "will at least protect our security". Iraq is turning to Russia for help and nurturing economic ties between Baghdad and Moscow. (Agence France Presse)

Private Firms Aid UN on Sanctions (April 21, 2001)
Privatization does not spare the UN. After the decision to use services of a private company to monitor sanctions in Angola, the Security Council discusses the same possibility for arms inspection in Iraq. (Washington Post)

Nuclear Inspectors Have Only a Few Remaining Questions About Iraq Program (April 10, 2001)
Weapons inspectors are ready to resume their work, a precondition for the lifting of sanctions against Iraq. (Associated Press)

Chief UN Inspector Goes to Washington on Iraq (April 3, 2001)
The chairman of UNMOVIC, Hans Blix, met Powell to find out about the new US policy toward Iraq and to let Washington know his commission's plans to resume work. He announced he would get in touch with Security Council members. (Reuters)

US May Soften Demand for Iraq Arms Inspectors (March 5, 2001)
The US might agree to ease its requirement of arms inspections in Iraq in order to "revitalize the sanctions regime". (Agence France Presse)

Iraq Says It Can Prove No More Mass Destruction Arms (February 6, 2001)
Iraq is unwilling to allow the return of international weapons inspectors until UN sanctions are lifted. However, Iraq will show Kofi Annan proof of its commitments toward Council resolutions, an official said. (Reuters)

Anticipating Inspections: UNMOVIC Readies Itself for Iraq (Jul/Aug 2000)
In this extensive interview with Arms Control Today, Hans Blix speaks of UNMOVIC and the differing political wills in the Security Council, as well as Iraq's position on Resolution 1284.

Iraq Rejects New Arms Inspectors (November 30, 2000)
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister again bluntly rules out acceptance of UNMOVIC. Meanwhile, notwithstanding Russia's opposition to sanctions, Iraq and Russia find it "difficult" to agree on circumstances in which they might be lifted. (BBC)

Diplomatic 'Triumph' for Iraq (November 13, 2000)
Iraq and the UN have agreed to dialogue ‘without preconditions', after Kofi Annan met the Iraqi foreign minister in Qatar. Talks will therefore begin without Iraq meeting the precondition of accepting weapons inspections; will the US and UK disapprove? (BBC)

Iraq Seeks Talks with UN Chief on Arms Inspection (November 8, 2000)
This is the first time since UNMOVIC was established last December that Iraq has asked for talks with the UN. Kofi Annan will meet Iraqi government representatives at a summit of Islamic nations that starts Sunday in Qatar. (New York Times)

Blix Hopes UN Inspectors in Iraq After US Elections (September 18, 2000)
The Head of UNMOVIC does not believe, rightly so, that anything will happen with the weapons inspection mission before US presidential elections. Let's hope that this is not a missed window of opportunity for Iraq. (Reuters/CNN)

Arms Inspectors Ready for Business (August 31, 2000)
Iraq continues to refuse the newly created and trained UN weapons inspection team as the Security Council has tied the issue to the lifting of sanctions. According to the BBC, there is little hope for progress in view of the US presidential elections now in full swing.

Iraq Will Not Accept New UN Weapons Team (August 25, 2000)
As the UN is ready to resume its weapons inspection, Iraq claims that it will not be "intimidated" again and will not allow a single inspector on its soil. It seems that with this new development any possible easing or even lifting of the sanctions is pushed further away. (South Nexus)

UN Readies Team to Check Weapons Held by the Iraqis (August 22, 2000)
The inspection process of Iraq has been stalled while a new UN team is assembled. Now Hans Blix, a Swedish diplomat and head of the new team, is close to finishing the preparations and the almost inevitable confrontation with Iraq is looming ahead. (New York Times)

UNMOVIC Officials Mulling Ritter Turnaround (August 16, 2000)
UNMOVIC officials are puzzled over Scott Ritter's drastic change towards the weapon status in Iraq. In view of the US presidential elections approaching, Iraq specialists wonder what is going to be US policy towards Iraq in the near future. (UN Wire)

Ex-UN Inspector Ritter to Tour Iraq, Make Documentary (July 27, 2000)
Saddam Hussein welcomes Scott Ritter, the alleged "CIA-spy" and former UN weapons inspector, to film a documentary of the weapons sites in Iraq. The US smells something fishy as Saddam will most likely use Ritter as a propaganda against the US and the UN. (Washington Post)

Putin to Press Iraq on UN Inspections (July 26, 2000)
Although Russia occupies a "pro-Iraqi attitude" in the UN Security Council, the Russian President puts his foot down to encourage Iraq to cooperate with the UN weapons inspections. (United Press International)

UN, Iraq Still at an Impasse Over Arms a Decade After Gulf War (July 24, 2000)
In 1991, the UN Security Council agreed to lift sanctions if the UN certified Iraqi disarmament. 10 years later, Iraq is rejecting UN weapons inspectors, and the UN Security Council will not press the disarmament issue until after the US presidential election in November. (Agence France Presse)

US Monitor Now Argues Iraq Has Little to Hide (July 3, 2000)
Scott Ritter, former inspector for UNSCOM in Iraq, claims in Arms Control Today that it is "time to adopt more pragmatic goals if there is ever to be a resumption of inspections in Iraq." (New York Times)

Sanctions Could Keep Inspectors Out of Baghdad (June 23, 2000)
Mr. Hans Blix, the chief of new UN arms inspection team in Iraq (UNMOVIC), is concerned that sanctions and continuous bombing by the US and UK hinders the much needed cooperation with Iraq. (Independent)