27 January 2000
Blix to Head New Iraqi Weapons Inspection Team
(Security Council agrees on former IAEA director) (990) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- The former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Hans Blix was the unanimous choice of the Security Council January 26 to head the new U.N. Iraqi weapons inspection unit. U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, president of the council for the month of January, told journalists that council members had discussed a number of candidates since they failed to reach consensus earlier in the month on the secretary general's choice of Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, who was the first head of the Iraqi weapons inspectors, and finally agreed on the former Swedish disarmament expert. Blix "is another very distinguished international civil servant whose career most notably included leadership of the IAEA in Vienna," Holbrooke said. "We are therefore passing his name on to the secretary general of the United Nations immediately for consideration by the secretary general for further action." "Everybody believes (Blix) is extremely well qualified and his availability was not earlier known," he said. Holbrooke also issued a warning to Iraq to cooperate with the weapons inspectors. "The Iraqis understand this resolution. They understand the continuing consequences if they obstruct this process," Holbrooke said. "I think they are playing a very dangerous and ultimately seriously self-damaging role if they continue to obstruct" the work of the weapons inspectors. "They cannot be allowed to get away with obstruction," the ambassador said. "Let's hope they have some residual sense in Baghdad because the international unanimous opinion has now been expressed again," Holbrooke said, pointing out that China, Russia, and France agreed on the Blix appointment. "Let those who saw divisions from the international community note that I am speaking on behalf of the united, unanimous Security Council," Holbrooke said. Secretary General Kofi Annan said "we've been discussing with the council members over the past ten days and I'm very pleased we have a consensus on him and I think it is essential that the entire council and everybody supports him and works with him." "We're off to a good start, I suspect," Annan said. Holbrooke said the United States "is positively disposed toward this nomination." "As the American representative, let me make clear that we are pleased with his nomination. He is an excellent choice. We're very moved by his willingness to undertake such a difficult task at this stage in his long and illustrious career," the ambassador said. Holbrooke noted that Blix has "tremendous experience" and while many of the other candidates who were proposed were "splendid in their own right but didn't have the expertise we felt necessary in this area." On January 17 Annan nominated Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, currently Sweden's ambassador to Washington, after struggling for a month to find someone to head the U.N.'s new Iraqi weapons inspection unit called the UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission or UNMOVIC. However, the Security Council was unable to agree on Ekeus with France, Russia, and to a lesser extent, China objecting to Ekeus' appointment. "Even countries that did not wish to have consensus expressed admiration and respect for his long and distinguished career as an international civil servant and a senior diplomat of Sweden," Holbrooke said of Ekeus. UNMOVIC was established by the Security Council in December 1999 to continue ridding Iraq of its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and their programs as well as oversee long-term monitoring of its weapons programs to ensure that Baghdad does not rebuild the banned weapons. According to the resolution establishing UNMOVIC, Annan was to recommend a director for the agency by January 16 but his nomination was subject to the council's approval. The 72-year-old Blix, who is currently traveling in Antarctica, served as director general of the IAEA from 1981 until 1997. IAEA has been responsible for uncovering and eliminating Iraq's nuclear weapons programs under the 1991 Gulf War cease-fire agreement which set up the original UN Special Commission to oversee the elimination of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM). During that period UNSCOM was responsible for the chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missiles while IAEA was responsible for the nuclear weapons programs. An international law specialist, Blix studied at the University of Uppsala, Columbia University, and Cambridge. In 1960 he became an associate professor in international law at Stockholm University. From 1963 to 1976 Blix was legal adviser on international law for the Swedish Foreign Ministry and in 1976 became undersecretary of state in charge of international development cooperation. From 1962 to 1978 Blix was a member of the Swedish delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Annan said he thinks Blix "will make a difference" in the U.N.'s stalled efforts to free Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. U.N. weapons inspectors have not been in Iraq since December 1998, when they were expelled by Baghdad. "He's a very experienced man," Annan said. "He has already worked in Iraq, had been in the disarmament field for a long time. ... He's a very experienced man and I'm sure he knows what he's getting into." The secretary general expressed the hope that "Iraq will cooperate." "We are going to do everything we can to get them engaged in the game," he said. Iraq has refused to work with the weapons inspectors and rejected Ekeus as well. When asked about Blix's appointment, Iraqi Ambassador to the U.N. Saeed Hassan said "we are not cooperating with resolution 1284." According to the resolution, which also lifts restrictions on how much oil Iraq can export under U.N. supervision, UNMOVIC and the IAEA must draw up for council review a work program that includes both the remaining disarmament tasks and long-term monitoring and verification. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
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