DATE=2/1/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=IRAQ/WEAPONS (L)
NUMBER=2-258697
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Senior U-S officials say Iraq is rebuilding
sites hit by American and British warplanes in
December, 1998 - targets that were suspected of
producing weapons of mass destruction. This, as the
United Nations Security Council remains unable to get
weapons inspectors back into Iraq more than a year
after they were withdrawn. Correspondent Nick Simeone
reports the situation is raising new concerns over
whether Baghdad may be rebuilding its banned weapons
program.
TEXT: A senior American official says Iraq's efforts
to rebuild sites hit by bombs 13 months ago is not
by itself proof that Baghdad is reassembling weapons
that could threaten its neighbors. But it is raising
doubts among U-S officials who in December finally got
the U-N Security Council to approve a new resolution
that would get weapons inspectors back on the job.
Charles Duelfer is deputy chairman of UNSCOM, the U-N
body that for much of the past decade has been charged
with overseeing the disarmament of Iraq.
/// DUELFER ACT ///
We were uncertain in December, 1998. We're even
more uncertain now. We have seen no evidence
that indicates any radical changes of policy on
the part of Iraq, so the fact that we haven't
been there in a year only leads us to be more
concerned.
/// END ACT ///
Baghdad refuses to cooperate with weapons inspectors,
saying it no longer has any banned weapons and wants
all U-N sanctions lifted. And there are differences
among Security Council members over the usefulness of
sanctions, with Russia, China, and France all
advocating an early lifting.
Unlike previous showdowns with Iraq, this time the
Clinton Administration is saying little in public
about the matter. In 1998, the President often used
public appearances to restate his determination never
to allow Baghdad to use weapons of mass destruction
again.
UNSCOM deputy chief Charles Duelfer points to a number
of events around the world that are giving Washington
reason to pause.
/// DUELFER ACT ///
There's the economy. Oil prices are extremely
high. There's domestic politics - both in the
United States and Russia. There's elections in
both of those countries. There's concern about
the suffering of the Iraqi people. There's just
a whole lot of aspects of this question. It's a
very intractable problem at this point.
/// END ACT ///
Still, the U-S says it remains determined to contain
Iraq militarily. On Monday, American warplanes again
took to the skies over Iraq, carrying out more strikes
against an Iraqi air defense system after the U-S
military said its planes were challenged over the
country's northern no-fly zone. (SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/ENE/JP
01-Feb-2000 13:22 PM EDT (01-Feb-2000 1822 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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