Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=2/12/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=UN / IRAQ / BLIX (L-only)

NUMBER=2-299592

BYLINE=JENNY BADNER

DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Chief U-N weapons inspector Hans Blix briefed commissioners from UNMOVIC, the mission to disarm Iraq today [WEDNESDAY] on his recent trip to Baghdad. Correspondent Jenny Badner reports from the United Nations that the meeting comes one day after the chief inspector convened experts to discuss possible Iraqi violations of missile range limits.

TEXT: During his meeting with UNMOVIC commissioners at United Nations headquarters, Mr. Blix has discussed details of his recent trip to Baghdad along with his counterpart from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El Baradei. The two men met Iraqi officials during their visit and urged the Iraqi government to actively cooperate with U-N weapon inspectors.

Mr. Blix, who is in charge of the hunt for Iraqi chemical and biological weapons, is prepared to make his crucial report to the Security Council on Friday on their findings, including Iraq's production of the al-Samoud two and al Fatah missiles.

During his last report, delivered to the Council two weeks ago, Mr. Blix said preliminary findings showed the missiles exceeded the 150-kilometer limit, imposed by previous U-N resolutions.

The U-N chief weapons inspector said he has invited both government and private experts to discuss the missile question since he returned from Iraq.

/ / / BLIX ACT / / /

We also had a report from our own staff on the expert meeting on missiles that have taken place in the last few days and I have received very valuable advice, as I always do, and the rest I can tell that I'm going to speak on Friday and I welcome you all to see that.

/ / / END ACT / / /

When Mr. Blix left Iraq, he said there were signs of an improved attitude in Baghdad. And Iraq has yielded to the U-N request that its inspectors can be free to use the U-2 surveillance planes to support their mission.

Mr. Blix says he is seeking a real shift in active cooperation from Iraq and did not ask for additional inspectors.

Meanwhile, France has distributed a document to the Security Council that proposes intensifying the daily inspection process by doubling or tripling the number of inspectors in Iraq from about 110 to as many as 360.

Germany says it supports the plan, although it is unclear whether France will present the paper as a new resolution to the Security Council, which remains divided on the next step to take to disarm Iraq.

The Bush Administration, backed by Britain, has said that Iraq has had more than enough time to change its attitude and favors a new Security Council resolution authorizing military force against Iraq.

The United States believes increasing the number of inspectors is useless without a willingness to disarm. U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell said he plans to challenge both the expansion of the number of inspectors and extention of inspection at the Security Council meeting this Friday. (Signed)

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