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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

19 December 2002

State Department Cites Gaps in Iraq Weapons Declaration

(Fact sheet calls missing information "material omissions") (610)
The State Department released a fact sheet giving examples of alleged
omissions from Iraq's declaration to the United Nations Security
Council concerning its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons
capabilities.
The fact sheet, released December 19, compared the findings of United
Nations weapons inspectors and Iraqi disclosures since 1991 to Iraq's
claims in the 12,000 page document it submitted to the Council
December 7. It listed several weapons, components and programs that it
said were not accounted for or mentioned in the document.
"None of these holes and gaps in Iraq's declaration are mere
accidents, editing oversights or technical mistakes: they are material
omissions," concluded the fact sheet.
Following is the text of a fact sheet of Iraqi omissions from its
declaration to the Security Council:
(begin fact sheet)
Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman 
Washington, DC 
December 19, 2002
Illustrative Examples of Omissions from the Iraqi Declaration to the
United Nations Security Council
Anthrax and Other Undeclared Biological Agents
-- The UN Special Commission concluded that Iraq did not verifiably
account for, at a minimum, 2160kg of growth media.
This is enough to produce 26,000 liters of anthrax 
-- 3 times the amount Iraq declared; 1200 liters of botulinum toxin;
and, 5500 liters of clostridium perfrigens
-- 16 times the amount Iraq declared.
Why does the Iraqi declaration ignore these dangerous agents in its
tally?
Ballistic Missiles
-- Iraq has disclosed manufacturing new energetic fuels suited only to
a class of missile to which it does not admit.
-- Iraq claims that flight-testing of a larger diameter missile falls
within the 150km limit. This claim is not credible.
-- Why is the Iraqi regime manufacturing fuels for missiles it says it
does not have?
Nuclear Weapons
-- The Declaration ignores efforts to procure uranium from Niger. 
-- Why is the Iraqi regime hiding their uranium procurement?
VX
-- In 1999, UN Special Commission and international experts concluded
that Iraq needed to provide additional, credible information about VX
production.
-- The declaration provides no information to address these concerns.
-- What is the Iraqi regime trying to hide by not providing this
information?
Chemical and Biological Weapons Munitions
-- In January 1999, the UN Special Commission reported that Iraq
failed to provide credible evidence that 550 mustard gas-filled
artillery shells and 400 biological weapon-capable aerial bombs had
been lost or destroyed.
-- The Iraqi regime has never adequately accounted for hundreds,
possibly thousands, of tons of chemical precursors.
-- Again, what is the Iraqi regime trying to hide by not providing
this information?
Empty Chemical Munitions
-- There is no adequate accounting for nearly 30,000 empty munitions
that could be filled with chemical agents.
-- Where are these munitions?
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Programs
-- Iraq denies any connection between UAV programs and chemical or
biological agent dispersal. Yet, Iraq admitted in 1995 that a MIG-21
remote-piloted vehicle tested in 1991 was to carry a biological weapon
spray system.
-- Iraq already knows how to put these biological agents into bombs
and how to disperse biological agent using aircraft or unmanned aerial
vehicles.
-- Why do they deny what they have already admitted? Why has the Iraqi
regime acquired the range and auto-flight capabilities to spray
biological weapons?
Mobile Biological Weapon Agent Facilities
-- The Iraqi declaration provides no information about its mobile
biological weapon agent facilities. Instead it insists that these are
"refrigeration vehicles and food testing laboratories."
-- What is the Iraqi regime trying to hide about their mobile
biological weapon facilities?
Summary
None of these holes and gaps in Iraq's declaration are mere accidents,
editing oversights or technical mistakes: they are material omissions.
(end fact sheet)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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