IRAQ: FORMER UN ARMS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD AND DECLARES HIS MISSION IS TO TRY TO STOP ANY US-LED WAR ON IRAQ
Record ID:
647480
IRAQ: FORMER UN ARMS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD AND DECLARES HIS MISSION IS TO TRY TO STOP ANY US-LED WAR ON IRAQ
- Title: IRAQ: FORMER UN ARMS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD AND DECLARES HIS MISSION IS TO TRY TO STOP ANY US-LED WAR ON IRAQ
- Date: 8th September 2002
- Summary: (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 8, 2002)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV-PAN: FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE 0.19 2. MEDIA 0.25 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SCOTT RITTER, FORMER UN WEAPONS INSPECTOR SAYING: "If Iraq acts in an aggressive manner against one of its neighbours, launching an unprovoked attack against the territory of a sovereign state or if Iraq continues to possess weapons of mass destruction more than ten years after the international community banned these weapons or if Iraq was in any way involved in the attacks against the United States on September 11 of last year, then I would fully concur with those that say that Iraq is a rogue nation that represents a clear and present risk to international peace and security that must be dealt with harshly indeed I would volunteer my services in such a struggle." 0.59 4. SV MEN WEARING WEARING ARABIC HEADSCARVES IN AUDIENCE 1.02 5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) RITTER SAYING: "However the rhetoric of fear that is disseminated by my government and others has not, to date, been backed-up by hard facts that substantiate any allegations that Iraq is today in possession of weapons of mass destruction or has links to terror groups responsible for attacking the United States. Void of such facts all we have is speculation and there is no basis under international law for a nation to go to war against another nation based upon speculation alone." 1.29 6. PAN: NEWS CONFERENCE 1.36 7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) RITTER SAYING: "Iraq is not a sponsor of the kind of terror perpetrated against the United States on September 11 and in fact is active in suppressing the sort of fundamentalist extremism that characterises those that attacked the United States on that horrible day." 1.53 (U3) UNKNOWN LOCATION, IRAQ (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. SLV SCOTT RITTER ALONG HIS COLLEAGUES (WHEN HE WAS A U.N. INSPECTOR) 2.01 9. PAN: U.N. CAR ALONG CARRYING RITTER AND COLLEAGUES (GOING TO HAVE THEIR ROUTINE INSPECTION IN IRAQI SITES) 2.08 10. GVs WEAPONS BEING DESTROYED IN FIELD (LARGE COLUMN OF FLAMES RISING) (2 SHOTS) 2.29 (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 8, 2002)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. GV STREET SCENE; SLV POSTER OF SADDAM HUSSEIN BRANDISHING RIFLE ON WALL; GV MOSQUE AS TRAFFIC ALONG (3 SHOTS) 2.44 12. SV NEWSPAPERS STAND 2.50 13. CU IRAQI NEWSPAER NEWSPAPER HEADLINE 3.02 14. STREET SCENES (2 SHOTS) 3.14 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVADXV9AOGBRVCDFKNZ316SC3ITN
- Story Text: Scott Ritter, a former U.N. arms inspector who rejects
U.S. charges that Iraq is developing weapons of mass
destruction, has arrived in Baghdad declaring that his mission
is to try to stop any U.S.-led war on Iraq.
Ritter, who arrived in Baghdad late on Saturday
(September 7), was expected to address the Iraqi parliament on
Sunday (September 8). He was also due to meet senior Iraqi
government officials.
Speaking at a news conference he said,
"If Iraq acts in an aggressive manner against one of its
neighbours, launching an unprovoked attack against the
territory of a sovereign state or if Iraq continues to possess
weapons of mass destruction more than ten years after the
international community banned these weapons or if Iraq was in
any way involved in the attacks against the United States on
September 11 of last year, then I would fully concur with
those that say that Iraq is a rogue nation that represents a
clear and present risk to international peace and security
that must be dealt with harshly indeed I would volunteer my
services in such a struggle."
But he added that the 'rhetoric of fear disseminated by my
government and others' had not been backed-up by hard facts to
substantiate allegations that Iraq is in possession of weapons
of mass destruction or has links to terror groups responsible
for attacking the United States.
"Void of such facts all we have is speculation and there
is no basis under international law for a nation to go to war
against another nation based upon speculation alone," said
Ritter.
He went on to say that Iraq did not sponsor the kind of
terror perpetrated against the United States on September 11
in fact the country was "active in suppressing the sort of
fundamentalist extremism that characterises those that
attacked the United States on that horrible day."
Ritter said the trip to Baghdad is his own initiative as
an American citizen concerned about the direction that his
country is taking.
His trip came amid heightened speculation U.S. President
George W. Bush might order a military strike against Iraq to
topple the government of President Saddam Hussein, whom
Washington accuses of developing such weapons as nuclear,
biological or chemical arms.
Ritter, a former U.S. Marine who resigned his U.N. post in
1998 and later accused Washington of using the inspections
teams to spy on Iraq, said last month that Baghdad had been
fundamentally disarmed after the 1991 Gulf war that drove
Iraqi invasion troops out of Kuwait.
On leaving his U.N. job, Ritter at the time accused the
United Nations and the United States of not being tough enough
on Iraq when it violated Security Council resolutions, but he
subsequently became a vocal critic of U.S. policy on Iraq.
He has said Washington and the United Nations should
reassess their positions and not insist on 100 percent
disarmament.
Arms experts left Iraq on the eve of a U.S.-British
bombing campaign in December, 1998. They have not been allowed
in since.
Iraq says it has no more weapons of mass destruction and
that the United Nations should lift sanctions imposed on Iraq
for its invasion of Kuwait.
np/cs
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