Blix warns Iraq over need for co-operation
The chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix today warned the Iraqis that there needed to be “sincere and genuine” co-operation from the Baghdad regime if they were to avert war.
Dr Blix, on his way to the Iraqi capital for talks with officials starting tomorrow, said he would use his meetings to impress upon them the “seriousness of the situation” they were now facing.
Arriving in Cyprus from London after having briefed Tony Blair yesterday, Dr Blix said that the inspectors were still not receiving sufficient co-operation from the Iraqis.
While the inspection teams had been granted full access to sites they wanted to visit, he said the Iraqis were still not being fully open about their remaining nuclear, biological and chemical programmes.
He said that Baghdad had yet to fill in the gaps in its 12,000 page declaration to the UN Security Council last month, which was supposed to list all its weapons related programmes and materials.
“We are going to have a long discussion with them about several items. We will impress upon them the seriousness of the situation,” Dr Blix told reporters as he arrived in Larnaca in Cyprus.
“There has not been sufficient co-operation. They need to have a sincere and genuine co-operation.”
Dr Blix said that the inspectors still did not know what weapons capabilities the Iraqis still possessed.
“We are still uncertain whether they have weapons of mass destruction,” he said.
“We are not closing the dossier because there are too many gaps in it and the world would like to be assured that Iraq is rid of weapons of mass destruction.
“Until we, the inspectors, have been convinced of that we cannot so report to the Security Council.”
Dr Blix acknowledged that the inspectors were now receiving some intelligence material from nations like Britain and America, but indicated that they still would like to see more.
“We are getting intelligence from various parts of the world and on the basis of that we are mounting some of the inspections that we are undertaking,” he said.
“If we get more then there will be more inspections based upon it.”
