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GULF WAR - 10 years on
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IRAQI NON-COOPERATION
Desert Fox
Iraq suspended all co-operation with UN weapons inspectors (UNSCOM) in October 1998. UN arms inspectors were pulled out of Baghdad in December 1998 on the eve of a renewed US-British air campaign against Iraq for its alleged refusal to co-operate with a previous disarmament commission. After 1991鈥檚 "Desert Storm"" operation this campaign was "Desert Fox".
Baghdad swore not to allow the weapons inspectors to return.
Arms inspections
The UN Security Council voted in December 1999 to create a new arms inspection team for Iraq, the members of which will be accountable to the UN instead of state governments.
Hans Blix, the director of the new UN weapons inspection regime (UNMOVIC) told the UN Security Council on 30 August 2000 that his team was ready to enter Iraq and begin inspections. Iraq says it will not co-operate with the inspectors or allow them to enter the country.
Iraq has refused to have any dealings with the new UN arms inspection body (UNMOVIC, which replaced UNSCOM in January 2000) and has refused to notify the commission of any "dual use" items it has imported (those with both military and peacetime uses). While Iraq blocks the inspectors from entering the country, it is thought Saddam Hussein may be continuing with his weapons programme.
On 1 July 2000 The New York Times reported that Iraq had restarted its missile programme and had conducted flight tests of a short-range ballistic missile. The paper quoted US Administration sources as confirming that Iraq had carried out eight missile tests since May 1999, of a liquid-fuelled ballistic missile called "Al Samoud" that could carry conventional explosives or even chemical and biological weapons.
Richard Butler, former head of UNSCOM ended his term in June 1999.
What have the UN weapons inspectors found?
The UK Foreign Office issued a report in February 1998 which stated that UNSCOM weapons succeeded in destroying :-
38,000 chemical weapons
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480, 000 litres of live chemical weapons agents.
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48 operational missiles- 6 missile launchers.
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30 special missile warheads for chemical and biological weapons - hundreds of items of CW production equipment Iraq originally claimed much of it was for peaceful use but later admitted its real purpose but later admitted its real purpose.
UNSCOM discovered Iraq had the capability to produce the deadly VX nerve gas on an industrial scale. It also discovered production of other agents - including, sarin, tabun, mustard gas, anthrax and botulinum. The Foreign Office stated that 100kg of anthrax released in a densely populated area could kill up to three million people. Iraq claimed it was for animal feed.
Iraq has admitted filling ballistic missile warheads and bombs with botulinum, anthrax, aflatoxin, though it denied the existence of all these biological agents until August 1995.
Iraq has so far produced three versions of its required disclosure document on chemical weapons and four on biological weapons, all shown to be seriously inaccurate.
Gulf War Report - Part 1, Gulf War 10 years On
Gulf War Report - Part 2, Iraq's Empty Promises
Gulf War Report - Part 3, Saddam still in Power
Gulf War Report - Part 4, Sanctions
Gulf War Report - Part 5, Control of the Skies
Gulf War Report - Part 7, Depleted Uranium - Special Report by Barbara Plett & Links
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