16 October -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remains prepared to resume its inspections in Iraq on short notice in order to verify the status of the country's past clandestine nuclear programme, according to the Agency's latest progress report, which was released today at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In the report, IAEA Director-General Mohamed El Baradei informs the President of the Security Council that the Agency is currently not in a position to implement its mandate under various Security Council resolutions on Iraq, and as such it is "unable to provide any measure of assurance with regard to Iraq's compliance with its obligations under those resolutions."
Despite its inability to resume inspections -- which broke off in December 1998 -- the IAEA has continued some Iraq-related activities, including the destruction of a filament-winding machine which Baghdad had procured as part of its clandestine uranium enrichment programme. The Agency destroyed the machine, along with its associated spare parts, in Jordan this May.
According to Mr. El Baradei, if the IAEA is unable to resume the inspections called for by the Security Council in the near future, it would have to initiate another physical inventory verification of the nuclear material pursuant to the Safeguards Agreement with Iraq, under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Meanwhile, a UN spokesman announced today that a two-day meeting on progress and problems in implementing the oil-for-food programme for Iraq will begin tomorrow at UN Headquarters. Among the topics that will be discussed are Iraq's humanitarian situation, the work of the committee monitoring the sanctions against Baghdad, and the security of UN staff involved in the programme, which allows Iraq to sell its oil and use a portion of the proceeds to purchase relief supplies.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
