IRAQ: BAGHDAD: MORE UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS EXPELLED UPDATE

Описание: (14 Nov 1997) Natural Sound

The U-S members of the United Nations disarmament team have left their base in Baghdad.

They were followed shortly afterwards by other inspectors from various countries.

Iraq ordered the Americans to leave immediately (on Thursday) but the U-N has responded by withdrawing all of its personnel except for a skeleton crew of nine.

The end of a tense day for the American members of the United Nations weapons inspection team.

The U-N Security Council condemned Iraq's threat to expel the six American members of the team on Wednesday in a unanimous vote.

Iraq's response was immediate.

It carried through with its threat to expel the Americans which prompted the U-N to say it would withdraw most of its team.

The Chief Weapons Inspector, Richard Butler, said it was against the U-N charter to segregate people working for the U-N by nationality so he decided to pull out all of them rather than bow to Iraqi demands.

But on Thursday evening, the six Americans packed their bags, loaded the U-N vehicles and left for Jordan.

They departed shortly after 11 pm Baghdad time, for the ten-hour drive to Jordan.

Richard Butler, the top U-N arms inspector, had asked the Iraqis to let them stay until Friday, when they could fly out with the other international inspectors who are being pulled from Iraq.

But the Iraqis refused.

The U-N pullout of its personnel began in earnest shortly afterwards.

Inspectors - of various nationalities - boarded buses early on Friday morning to head to Habania Airport outside Baghdad.

The U-N has left a skeleton staff of 13 in Baghdad to monitor equipment and basic operations.

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