• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Tracking Inspections in Iraq

RFE/L

6 FEBRUARY 2003

      The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) noted in its daily briefing that it conducted two separate private interviews with Iraqi "individuals" on 7 February. One individual was described as a "senior scientist" and the other a "missile expert." UNMOVIC stated that a number of "relevant issues" were discussed with the Iraqis during their interviews.
      The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also conducted a private interview with an Iraqi chemical engineer on 7 February. The IAEA stated that a range of technical issues were discussed with the engineer.
      A team of four chemical inspectors went to the Al-Wathba Water Project belonging to the Baghdad Municipality in Baghdad. Inspectors questioned an employee on patrol at the site about changes there since 1998, the ratios of chlorine used there, and if files existed documenting chlorine consumption, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. UNMOVIC acknowledged but did not give details about this inspection.
      Three UNMOVIC missile inspectors traveled to the Al-Karamah State Company in Al-Waziriyah. Inspectors asked site officials about "specification standards" and whether all related equipment was on-site or located elsewhere. Inspectors toured stock and raw material storage areas, the "patterns" building, and a training building, the Foreign Ministry reported. UNMOVIC noted in its daily briefing that this site is the headquarters for the development of the Al-Sumud missile.
      A team of two biological inspectors conducted aerial surveillance over several areas, including the Samara' Drug Factory and the Salah Al-Din State Company, the Foreign Ministry reported. UNMOVIC confirmed the aerial inspection of these two sites.
      A second team of 18 biological inspectors visited a livestock field and a fodder storage area at an unnamed private company located 10 kilometers outside Al-Kut, the Foreign Ministry stated. The site is located approximately 150 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. Inspectors checked for chemical and radiological substances during their inspection. UNMOVIC reported that this site is a "combined agricultural and ammunition storage site."
      A joint team of 18 inspectors went to a storage area for the State Department of Agricultural Protection, which belongs to the military, according to the Foreign Ministry. Inspectors questioned the director about the total number of stores and their contents, the types of chemicals stored there, their uses, and what companies benefit from them. Inspectors also asked about changes at the site since 1998, and how the site is connected to the military, the ministry added. Inspectors toured the facilities and employed a ground-portable radar device, which detects "extreme depth of ground to check [whether] concrete ground [was] constructed recently," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry noted. UNMOVIC identified this inspection site as the Suwayrah Stores Plant Protection Division and stated that it is a pesticide storage site.
      The same team of inspectors also visited the Aswara Technical Institute belonging to the Technical Institutes Board. Inspectors were not able to enter many departments because "the institute is in holiday (midterm vacation) and the keys are not available," the Foreign Ministry reported. UNMOVIC stated that the institute "trains skilled workers," but did not elaborate.

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