ACCESSION
ACCESSION NUMBER:237653 FILE ID:PO-203 DATE:08/04/92 TITLE:U.N. TO LAUNCH NEW SEARCH FOR IRAQI WEAPONS MATERIAL (08/04/92) TEXT:*92080403.POL U.N. TO LAUNCH NEW SEARCH FOR IRAQI WEAPONS MATERIAL 1New search targets not identified) (550) By Judy Aita USIA United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq will launch a new series of unannounced inspections beginning August 8. Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, chairman of the Special Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraq's weapons, told reporters August 4 that a new 26-man team is now meeting in Bahrain to finalize its plans for the inspections. The latest U.N. weapons team will be headed by Nikita Smidovich, special assistant to the chairman, said Ekeus, who refused to specify the team's targets. The inspectors, he said, "are going, I think, to very important sites, locations where we have reason to suspect that prohibitive material of significance is stored or hidden." Ekeus acknowledged that the Special Commission has been "looking for information to clear up the supplier pattern, especially suppliers to (Iraq's) missile program." "Iraq is still refusing to give information" on foreign suppliers to its programs, he said, adding that Iraq "is obliged to give us the information and we will indeed continue the search" for it. Achim Biermann, leader of the experts who inspected the Iraqi Agriculture Ministry, reported that the two-day inspection uncovered no evidence of banned weapons material; however, the inspectors found "some indications that refurnishment might have taken place recently, possibly within weeks or a few months in some rooms." Since the commission was not able to monitor the premises on a 24-hour basis "it cannot be excluded that documents or equipment were removed during that time period," Biermann said. The attempt to inspect the ministry last July 5 led to a major standoff between Iraq and the United Nations. Iraq charged such an inspection violated its sovereignty and Iraqi police refused the team entry or to protect team members from hostile Iraqis. Asked about the possibility of another standoff with Iraq in the future, Ekeus said that if "there is any tendency to block us this time," he expected "very swift reaction" from the Security Council. Ekeus said that during his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz last week he received "an undertaking by Iraq that from now on Iraq would like to see a new chapter in relations between Iraq and the Special Commission." "We had similar promises before, so we have to test to see if these will be honored," he added. Ekeus recalled that during the ministry standoff, Iraqi officials nearly failed to realize the gravity of the situation. "I hope they now understand how close they were, how dangerous the situation really was," he said. "Therefore, I have some modest belief now it will not be repeated." Ekeus explained that the inspection teams are chosen "for their knowledge in the various weapons fields, experience, and their resilience, their courage and their overall qualities." And he made clear that he has no intention of again discussing a team's composition with Iraq -- as he did during the latest standoff. 1ll the members of the inspection teams are "internationally known in their field and respected by their peers," he added. Their numbers include many Americans, British and French because these nations have much expertise in chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic weapons. NNNN .
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