IRAQ: IRAQ OPENS TALKS WITH UN ON WEAPONS PROGRAMMES

Описание: (1 Feb 1998) Natural Sound

Iraq opened talks on Sunday to try and convince the United Nations it has destroyed all its warheads.

Baghdad claims it has documentary evidence to show that is no longer in possession of chemical or biological weapons.

Meanwhile, Baghdad issued a statement attacking what it said were the false claims about its weapons programmes, made at the meeting between U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

A team of 23 U-N weapons experts - led by a Russian, Nikita Smidovic - arrived on Sunday for so-called technical evaluation talks with Iraqi officials.

They were met by Hussam Mohammed Amin, director-general of the Iraqi monitoring committee, which works with the U-N inspectors.

The meeting was agreed on by Iraq and chief U-N weapons inspector, Richard Butler, as a way to reflect on the investigator's work.

The U-N team, which arrived Saturday, has experts representing the five permanent members of the U-N Security Council - Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States.

They're assessing Iraqi claims to have evidence proving the country's weapons have been destroyed.

The Iraqi side - led by the oil minister, Lieutenant General Amer Mohammed Rashid - has long maintained it eliminated the weapons, but U-N weapons inspectors suspect Iraq still has warheads armed with chemical agents.

But the chief weapons inspector, Richard Butler, has already expressed doubts these meetings will achieve what Iraq wants - U-N certification which would allow the lifting of U-N sanctions.

And it was business as usual for the current team of U-N inspectors - leaving to try and carry out their investigations.

But it was an atmosphere soured by calls in the newspaper of the ruling Ba'ath Party in Iraq.

In an editorial it demanded the firing of Richard Butler - over an interview to journalists in which he said Iraq had enough weapons to 'blow Tel Aviv away'.

Butler claims his views were not properly represented.

Iraqi newspapers reflected the views of the Baghdad government that U-S is using propaganda about biological weapons to start a new military attack against Iraq.

There is a frightening similarity between the latest crisis and the lead-in to the Gulf War.
Then, Saddam Hussein ordered U-N and other personnel to leave their apartments and move into hotels - for 'security reasons'.

And on Sunday, non UNSCOM members continued to move personal belongings - amid concern they might become part of a 'human shield' if there is a military strike on U-N.

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