• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

11 August 1998

TEXT: IAEA INFORMS UNSC ON IRAQ VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES

(Activities very limited due to Iraq's restrictions) (550)
Washington -- Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), informed the UN Security Council August
11 that his agency's ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV) program
has been limited by Iraq and that IAEA is "awaiting instructions from
the Council on how to proceed further."
ElBaradei said that the effectiveness of IAEA's monitoring of nuclear
sites is critically dependent on the full exercise of the agency's
rights of access and that "any diminution of, or interference with,
those rights would greatly reduce the level of assurance provided
through its implementation."
He advised the Council that the IAEA's limited activities in Iraq
"fall far short of full implementation of the OMV plan and result in a
significantly reduced level of assurance than would be provided
through the full implementation of that plan."
On August 5 Iraq announced it was "totally suspending" cooperation
with UNSCOM and with IAEA.
Following is the text of an IAEA press release:
(Begin text)
IAEA PRESS RELEASE
11 August 1998
IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL INFORMS PRESIDENT OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL OF
THE STATUS OF VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES IN IRAQ
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Mohamed ElBaradei, has addressed a letter, dated 11 August 1998, to
the President of the United Nations Security Council confirming that
the IAEA is carrying out a limited implementation of its ongoing
monitoring and verification (OMV) plan, within the restrictions
imposed by Iraq, and is awaiting instructions from the Council on how
to proceed further.
The letter draws the attention of the Council to the fact that the
effectiveness of the implementation of the IAEA OMV plan is critically
dependent upon the full exercise of the rights of access enshrined in
the plan and that any diminution of, or interference with, those
rights would greatly reduce the level of assurance provided through
its implementation.
The Director General observes that Iraq's refusal to cooperate in any
activity involving investigation of its clandestine nuclear program
makes it impossible for the IAEA to investigate, in the context of its
OMV, the remaining questions and concerns relevant to that program. He
also observes that Iraq's withdrawal of cooperation makes it
impossible for the IAEA to implement its right to investigate any
other aspect of Iraq's clandestine nuclear program and to destroy,
remove, or render harmless any prohibited items that may be discovered
through such investigations.
The letter records that the restrictions imposed by Iraq have resulted
in the discontinuation of the implementation of a joint IAEA/UNSCOM
program of inspection of Iraqi sites which are judged to have
capabilities suitable for conducting work on some aspect of weapons of
mass destruction. This activity contributes considerably to the
effectiveness of the OMV to detect attempts to conduct activities
proscribed by Security Council resolutions.
The Director General advises the Council that the limited activities
currently undertaken in Iraq by the IAEA, under the restrictions
imposed by Iraq, fall far short of full implementation of the OMV plan
and result in a significantly reduced level of assurance than would be
provided through the full implementation of that plan.
(End text)