ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:96062402.NNE
DATE:06/24/96
TITLE:24-06-96 U.N. SECURES IRAQ'S PLEDGE TO ALLOW WEAPONS EXPERTS ACCESS
TEXT:
(UNSCOM convinced Iraq still hiding weapons materials) (740)
By Judy Aita
USIA United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- While Baghdad has agreed to allow U.N. weapons
inspectors unlimited access to all sites, the head of the Special
Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons (UNSCOM)
expressed the hope June 24 that the pledge "will be translated into
substance" because the U.N. remains convinced that Iraq is still
concealing details of their banned weapons programs and thus will
continue unannounced, intrusive inspections.
Returning from a week of talks in Baghdad, UNSCOM Chairman Rolf Ekeus
announced that Iraq and the U.N. signed an agreement saying that Iraq
will allow UNSCOM weapons inspectors "immediate, unconditional and
unrestricted access to all sites which the Commission or the IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Commission) may wish to inspect."
"This, as I see it, is a very important, very important agreement on a
limited problem, namely the question of operations and the access that
has been a matter of confrontation," Ekeus said.
"It appears to be solved and ... I have full confidence that this will
hold. Obviously we will test it," he said, adding that planning has
begun for the next surprise inspection.
"We will be obliged to do (unannounced inspections), because on
substance nothing has happened during this mission. Iraq is still,
according to our analysis, concealing some important components and
weapons and also concealing important documents related to explaining
their program," the UNSCOM chairman said.
Now that the inspection issue has been settled, Ekeus said, "the main
sore point in our relations" is that "Iraq is denying any concealment
but we are insisting that there is concealment."
The Security Council, demanding that its cease-fire resolution be
honored, sent Ekeus to Baghdad to secure access for U.N. weapons
experts and "to engage in a forward-looking dialogue on other issues
under the commission's mandate" after Baghdad barred 54 inspectors
from four Republican Guard sites earlier in the month.
Ekeus said that the problem arose because the same "institutions that
are involved in the concealment" of weapons programs are responsible
for the security of Iraqi leaders. "This is probably why we ran into
problems," he said.
Iraq and the Commission also agreed "to intensify their work" so that
UNSCOM will be able to report to the council that all the banned
chemical, biological, nuclear, and ballistic weapons and their
programs have been eliminated and are under long-term surveillance.
That is the basic requirement for lifting of the oil embargo.
Ekeus met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and other Iraqi
officials during his visit. His mission ended with the Iraqi
leadership accepting the joint statement in which the U.N. reiterated
its pledge to "respect the legitimate security concerns of Iraq."
During a press conference at U.N. headquarters June 24, Ekeus
underlined the word "legitimate" in the agreement.
"Hiding proscribed and prohibited items is not legitimate and it is
not a legitimate concern. That is a policy we have had from the
beginning," Ekeus said.
Iraq turned over what it called "full, final, and complete"
disclosures on its biological and chemical weapons programs and is to
turn over the disclosures on their long-range missile and nuclear
weapons programs by the end of June. The UNSCOM chairman said that the
U.N. will then begin to independently verify the material through more
inspections, interviews of Iraqi officials, and "other means."
"We are convinced about one thing: that Iraq is concealing
(information)," Ekeus said.
He said UNSCOM believes that Iraq is concealing weapons and/or data
not only by hiding them in "exotic or remote facilities or sensitive
facilities," but by moving materials around the country.
"Sensitive items may be stored upon trucks or other means of transport
and they are kept on constant alert," Ekeus said. "Iraq has admitted
that before August 1995 ... they had material stored on trucks and
when our inspectors came into the airport the trucks started to move
around the country."
"When our team left, the trucks went back to safe houses, farms, and
other installations for resting until the next team came in," he said.
"These highly dynamic methods of storing things make it very difficult
for us. That means we need quick action" when trying to verify Iraq's
statements, Ekeus said.
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