Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

IAEA Safeguards Inspectors begin inventory of nuclear material in Iraq

Media Advisory 2003/0606
IAEA

6 June 2003 -- On 7 June 2003, a team of seven IAEA safeguards inspectors will begin taking an inventory and securing nuclear material at the nuclear material storage site at the Tuwaitha nuclear complex. The nuclear material - 1.8 tonnes of low enriched uranium and 500 tonnes of natural uranium - had been under IAEA seal since 1991. It was last visited by IAEA inspectors in February 2003.

The inspectors arrived in Baghdad, Friday, 6 June, on air transport provided by Coalition Forces from Kuwait City. The mission is expected to take about two weeks.

The inspections are in accordance with Iraq's safeguards agreement with the IAEA pursuant to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and are separate from the IAEA's Security Council mandate.

The inspectors will be reporting directly to IAEA headquarters in Vienna and will not be making any public statements about their findings while in Iraq.