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Tracking Inspections: 18 January 2003

A group of four International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors visited Baghdad University where they questioned the university president on the number of colleges, postgraduate institutes, and colleges established since 1998. Inspectors asked about the Ibn al-Haytham College of Education and later questioned the dean of that college on the departments and activities and research of the Physics and Chemistry Department. Inspectors also toured Baghdad University's College of Science where they questioned the dean about departments and funding sources, and any joint research projects, particularly nuclear projects conducted with the government. Inspectors toured the nuclear physics laboratory to check equipment there and to conduct radiological testing.

A team of two inspectors returned to the Atomic Energy Organization in Al-Tuwaythah, approximately 24 kilometers east of Baghdad, in order to conduct radiation testing and to photograph sites at the complex.

A group of seven biological inspectors visited the Food Inspection Laboratory of the State Company for Foodstuff Trade, located in the Al-Jamilah area of Baghdad. The Foreign Ministry stated that the purpose of the visit was to verify Iraqi declarations pertaining to mobile laboratories, and added that the real purpose of the labs is that they function "during emergencies when the other laboratories specialized in examining foodstuffs come under aggression." The ministry added that "specialists" use the labs to examine food distributed through the food-rationing program before that food is distributed to the population. The ministry said that the labs are not equipped to produce even small quantities of biological agents. Inspectors checked and photographed the labs and took 10 samples of water from them. They also requested and received import documents related to the labs. The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) stated the labs were "quality-control" laboratories.

Another group of 10 biological inspectors went to the Al-Kufa University College of Medicine in Al-Najaf Governorate, 150 kilometers south of Baghdad, where they asked about the Microbiology Department, its staff and their degrees, and research conducted there before inspecting the department, according to the ministry.

Inspectors also went to the Biology Department in the College of Science at Al-Kufa University to inquire about the teaching staff before touring the Physics Department. They then proceeded to the College of Education for Girls to check that college's biology department. Inspectors also questioned the dean of the college about the department and its research projects as well as about the teaching staff and the educational backgrounds of teachers.

A team of 22 chemical inspectors returned to the Al-Qa'qa State Company to check warehouses; verify documents, tags, and seals at the Al-Sumud, Khalid, Salah al-Din, and Tariq factories, the Foreign Ministry reported. Inspectors also checked 40 storage areas, sheds, and containers using metal detectors and gas-detecting equipment during the search. Finally, they took five samples "from the soil and from the dust on the walls" and photographed each factory, according to the ministry.

A joint UNMOVIC inspection team of 14 Mosul-based inspectors went to the Weaving and Spinning Factory of the State Company for Cotton Industries, where inspectors questioned the deputy manager of the factory on the factory's departments, computers, and changes made there since 1998. They also asked about cotton procurement before touring the facilities. UNMOVIC did not elaborate on this inspection.

A second joint inspection team of nine traveled to the Al-Nu'man State Company near Baghdad (owned by Iraq's Military Industrial Organization), where they toured the site and questioned the general manager about the company's old name and its production. UNMOVIC stated that this site is a manufacturing plant that specializes in finishing plastic and metal parts. Inspectors assessed the plant's activities.

A joint team of five inspectors returned to the Al-Ukhaidar Munitions Stores to tag the empty warheads of the 122-millimeter Karar rockets. UNMOVIC stated that inspectors "took additional samples from the [12th warhead found at the site on 16 January] and resealed the warhead and the storage building."

UNMOVIC's daily briefing noted that a team of missile inspectors attempted to fly from Al-Rashid Air Base to a site "deep within" the northern no-fly zone on 18 January. However, the trip was aborted due to concerns over the safety of Iraqi helicopters which follow UN helicopters on inspection.

Copyright (c) 2003. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org