Global Policy Forum

Full transcript of Blix's statement

Statement by Dr Blix:

· Iraq has provided co-operation with regards to the inspection process, but it still needs to co-operate in matters of substance.

· Iraq has provided access to all sites inspectors have wanted to inspect and the environment has been "workable".

· There was a "sense of urgency" to achieve disarmament within "a reasonable period of time."

· However, Iraq appeared "not to have come to a genuine acceptance, not even today, of the disarmament that was demanded of it."

· Iraq has failed to comply with the inspectors' request to deploy a U2 plane to carry out aerial imagery and surveillance.

· There have been recent incidents of harassment and demonstrations against the inspectors - these are unlikely to have occurred without the initiative of the Iraqi authorities. Iraq is aware allegations that the inspections serve intelligence purposes are untrue.

· Iraq's 7 December, 2002, weapons declaration still leaves questions unanswered.

· Iraq has failed to account for 6,500 missing chemical warfare bombs.

· Iraq said VX nerve gas it produced was never turned into weapons - Unmovic (the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission) has information which conflicts with this account.

· Iraq has failed to account for supplies of anthrax it said it had produced and later destroyed. There are "strong indications" that Iraq produced more anthrax than it admitted and might still have some stocks.

· Iraq has imported banned items, including 300 rocket engines, as recently as December, 2002, which could be used in a missile programme.

· Regarding the recent discovery of undeclared documents on nuclear development in an Iraqi scientist's home, "there can be no sanctuaries for proscribed items".

· Inspectors have requested 11 private interviews with Iraqi scientists, all of which have been turned down.

Full transcript of Dr ElBaradei's statement

Statement by Dr ElBaradei:

· Iraq's 2002 declaration did not answer questions which have been outstanding since inspectors were barred from returning to Iraq in 1998.

· Good progress has been made during the latest inspections.

· No prohibited nuclear activities have been identified during the inspections, but Baghdad needs to be more "pro-active" during further inspections.

· "We have found no evidence that Iraq has revived its nuclear weapons programme since the elimination of the programme in the 1990s."

· Inspectors "should be able within the next few months to provide credible assurance that Iraq has no nuclear weapons program".

· "Our work is steadily progressing and should be allowed to run its natural course."

· Another "few months" for inspections "would be a valuable investment because they could help us avoid a war."

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