SYRIA CLOSE TO PRODUCING NERVE GAS ISRAEL LINE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1998 A senior military intelligence officer told the Knesset's Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security on Tuesday that Syria continues to manufacture Scud C missiles and will soon have the capability to make VX nerve gas, HA'ARETZ reported. The officer said, "There are no signs of concrete preparation for war, but the Syrians continue to develop military options." Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai told the committee that Iran is continuing its work on developing long-range missiles with Russian aid. He added that the recent nuclear developments between Pakistan and India may "increase Iran's desire to obtain strategic capability." YEDIOT AHARONOT reported that during March 1998, the United Nations arms inspection team in Iraq discovered five missiles bearing warheads with VX nerve gas, the first time such weapons have been found on Iraqi missiles. Richard Butler, head of the inspection team, told the U.N. Security Council that Iraq continues to conceal essential information about its weapons program, despite the recent arms inspection agreement signed by himself and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
