Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=01/24/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ / INSPECTIONS (L)

NUMBER=2-298756

BYLINE= TETIANA ANDERSON

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

INTRO: United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq continued their search for banned weapons on Friday. The search on the Muslim day of rest, follows a meeting Thursday of regional foreign ministers who urged Iraq to cooperate with the inspectors in order to avoid war. Tetiana Anderson has more from V-O-A's Middle East bureau in Cairo

TEXT: Arms inspectors looked at only one location Friday, returning to the al Qaqaa chemical company, 60 kilometers outside the capital Baghdad. The facility has been searched numerous times since inspectors returned to Iraq in November, following a four-year break.

The inspectors in Iraq are working with just a few days remaining until Monday's due date for a report to the United Nations Security Council. It is to outline their findings over the last eight weeks.

Iraq says it has no weapons of mass destruction, but U-S officials say Iraq has been doing everything it can to conceal its weapons from the inspectors. Last week, inspectors found about a dozen empty warheads that could be used to deliver chemical weapons. Iraq insisted the warheads are not part of any banned cache of weapons.

On Thursday, Deputy U-S Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz accused Iraq of threatening to kill any scientist who agreed to speak to U-N inspectors in private, and also to kill members of the scientist's family. On Friday, the Associated Press quoted General Hossam Mohammed Amin, the chief Iraqi liaison officer with the weapons inspectors, as saying Iraq tried to convince the scientists to talk to the inspectors, but they refused.

Iraq has not yet responded to the communiqué issued by a summit of regional foreign ministers in Turkey on Thursday. The statement by Iran, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt calls on Iraq to be more active in cooperating with inspectors and providing information on any banned weapons programs it has.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian press reported Friday that President Hosni Mubarak said Egypt had nothing to do with reported efforts to convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down and go into exile. Mr. Mubabak is quoted as saying he has never discussed the subject. (Signed)

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