IK/165
SC/5794
28 February 1994
NO TRACE OF CHEMICAL AGENTS FOUND IN SAMPLES FROM SOUTHERN IRAQ
The following has been received from the Special Commission set up under
Security Council resolution 687 (1991) in connection with the disposal of
Iraq's weapons of mass destruction:
The Special Commission has now received the results of the analysis of
samples taken during its investigation of allegations that the Iraqi military
used chemical weapons in the region of the marshes in southern Iraq. The
analyses found no trace of chemical warfare agents in the samples.
Following persistent allegations that chemical weapons had been used
against Iraqi opposition forces in early September 1993, the Special
Commission launched in November 1993 an investigation, which included a
fact-finding mission to Iran and an on-site inspection in Iraq, to assess the
veracity of the claims. During the inspection, portable sensors were unable
to detect traces of chemical warfare agents and the team's observations led it
to conclude that it was unlikely that a chemical weapons attack had occurred
at the site inspected.
In order to provide greater certainty of this finding, a large number of
flora, fauna, water, air and soil samples were taken for laboratory analysis.
Laboratory equipment is capable of much more sensitive analysis.
These samples were divided into three parts: one complete set to three
different laboratories in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
Analysis was conducted in the laboratories in the United Kingdom and the
United States, while the samples in France were kept as controls. Both
laboratories confirmed the results achieved on-site: that the samples
contained no traces of chemical warfare agents. Thus there is no evidence to
support the allegations of chemical weapons use.
* *** *
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
