Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=01/28/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ/U-N RESPONSE (L-O)

NUMBER=2-298917

BYLINE=GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: In Iraq's first detailed response to Monday's U-N weapons inspectors' report to the Security Council, a senior Iraqi official insisted Iraq has been free of weapons of mass destruction since 1991. V-O-A's Greg LaMotte reports the official said the report "magnified" minor issues.

TEXT: The Iraqi official, General Amr Rasheed, said there was "no proportionate presentation" of the facts in Monday's progress report. He said it "belittled" the importance of the inspection process, and abbreviated the important issues.

The advisor to President Saddam Hussein, said Iraq has not had weapons of mass destruction since 1991, and he claimed Iraq has proved it.

The General responded to several issues presented to the Security Council, including allegations that Iraq has failed to account for tons of missing anthrax and V-X nerve agent. He said Iraq stopped trying to produce those agents in 1990.

/// RASHEED ACT ///

We were unable to arrive at a reasonable purity of the V-X. When we do not arrive at a certain purity that means that V-X material will deteriorate and degrade within short time, possibly two-to-three years. With this it becomes unnecessary to even to know in detail exactly the quantity. We are now 13-years since 1990 so what is the value of the V-X if it was one-ton or two-tons or a half-ton, three-tons, what is the value of it?

/// END ACT ///

General Rasheed said the same was true of Iraq's attempt to produce anthrax in a powder form.

/// OPT /// He said Iraq was disappointed that the report to the Security Council failed to address British and U-S documents issued last September that detailed sites suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction.

/// OPT // RASHEED ACT ///

We would have expected, at least, the report would show that none of the sites as represented in the White House report, or the British Prime Minister's report, has proven totally false and there is absolutely no grounds for it.

/// END ACT // END OPT ///

On Monday, chief U-N weapons inspector Hans Blix said Iraq has provided general cooperation to his staff, but he accused Iraq of withholding thousands of documents about its weapons program, of engaging in unhelpful rhetoric, and of making the inspectors play a game of "catch as catch can."

In addition, Mr. Blix complained that inspectors have been unable to use U-2 spy planes to inspect suspected weapons sites.

General Rasheed said for Iraq to guarantee the safety of the flights it would have to turn off its air defense systems, which might expose Iraq to attack from enemy warplanes. He said if the defense systems remain active, the U-2's would be able to map their exact location. Neither situation would be acceptable to Iraq.

General Rasheed said Iraq recognizes the need to fully cooperate with the weapons inspectors. He said Baghdad has asked Mr. Blix to send a technical team to detail remaining areas of concern so those issues can be resolved.

He said it is in Iraq's best interest to put an end to the issue of banned nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. (SIGNED)

NEB/GL/AWP/RAE/FC