IRAQ: UN INSPECTORS VISIT AL TAJI BASE TO BEGIN MONITORING THE DISMANTLING OF AL SAMOUD MISSILES

Record ID: 648425

  • Title: IRAQ: UN INSPECTORS VISIT AL TAJI BASE TO BEGIN MONITORING THE DISMANTLING OF AL SAMOUD MISSILES
  • Date: 2nd March 2003
  • Summary: (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 2, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE VIEW OF U.N. COMPOUND WITH FLAG FLYING AND SECURITY 0.06 2. SLV SECURITY AT GATE 0.13 3. SLV SOLDIERS IN MILITARY TRUCKS ALONG ROAD 0.20 4. VARIOUS, U.N. VEHICLE PASSING THROUGH GATE WITH SECURITY /CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING VEHICLES (2 SHOTS) 0.41 5. SLV UNITED NATIONS WOMAN INSPECTOR GETTING OUT OF VEHICLES AND WALKING INTO BUILDING 0.52 (W4) TAJI BASE, NEAR BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 2, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. SMV INSPECTORS SITTING INSIDE VEHICLE PREPARING TO LEAVE 0.58 7. CLOSE OF MAP / PAN UP TO MEN LOOKING AT MAP AND CAMERAMAN FILMING 1.10 8. SLV UN VEHICLE ARRIVING AT MILITARY BASE 1.27 9. SLV U.N. VEHICLES LEAVING SITE PASSING SECURITY 1.31 10. WIDE OF UNITED VEHICLES DRIVING ALONG ROAD 1.38 11. VARIOUS, LOADED MILITARY TRUCKS LEAVING THE SITE (3 SHOTS) 2.17 (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 2, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. WIDE OF TRAFFIC. CARS AND RED BUS IN BUSY STREET 2.25 13. WIDE OF DOME OF MOSQUE AND PEOPLE WALKING OVER FOOTBRIDGE OVER ROAD 2.30 14. WIDE/ PAN OF NEWSPAPER SELLER, PAN TO THE PAPERS SET OUT ON HIS STALL 2.38 15. VARIOUS CLOSE UPS OF HEADLINES, ONE SAYING: 'WE ARE VICTORIOUS AS FROM NOW WITH THE HELP OF ALMIGHTY GOD'/ ONE HEADLINE READING "NO WAR" (ENGLISH) 2.43 16. SLV PEOPLE AT STREET MARKET 2.47 17. SMV PEOPLE WALKING 2.52 18. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HUSSEIN ZAMIL, AN IRAQI CITIZEN, SAYING: "We have agreed, in order not to give America a pretext to hit Iraq and to disclose the American ill-intentions towards Iraq." 3.02 19. WIDE OF STREET MURAL OF SADDAM FIRING A RIFLE WITH ONE HAND 3.06 20. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BASSAM ABBASS, AN IRAQI CITIZEN, SAYING: "It (destruction of al-Samoud missiles) is a successful step, in order not to give them any excuse or pretext. Nothing has remained, the missiles were destroyed. Now what is their pretext?" 3.17 21. WIDE OF POLICEMEN DIRECTING TRAFFIC IN STREET 3.23 22. WIDE OF STREET WITH TRAFFIC DRIVING PAST,MEMORIAL/ WORKERS MONUMENT 3.29 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, AND AL TAJI, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVACEMG03YIA3MAFLBHSGCI213BE
  • Story Text: Iraq, using bulldozers, began crushing six more
    al-Samoud missiles under the supervision of U.N. inspectors on
    Sunday, stepping up efforts to eliminate the banned weapon as
    it tries to avert a possible U.S.-led attack.



    Baghdad began dismantling the missile programme by
    destroying four rockets on Saturday (March 1), meeting a key
    deadline set by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix.

    In a new move to head off Washington's threat of military
    action to force it to disarm, Iraqi officials were to hold
    talks later on Sunday (March 2) with the inspectors on VX
    nerve gas and anthrax stocks it says it has destroyed.

    Spokesman for the inspectors, Hiro Ueki, said a meeting
    was scheduled for 7 p.m. (1600 GMT).

    U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
    (UNMOVIC) missile experts went to Taji base, 40 km (25 miles)
    north of Baghdad, on Sunday, Ueki said.

    Senior Information Ministry official Uday al-Taei told
    Reuters in the early afternoon the destruction of six
    al-Samoud missiles began at 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) and the
    operation was still going on.

    Another team went to a site south of the capital to
    destroy a casting chamber, Ueki added.

    Iraq destroyed four of the white missiles with thin fins
    on Saturday at Taji by crushing them with large bulldozers.

    The Arabic word Samoud, which means steadfastness, is printed
    on every missile.

    One casting chamber was destroyed at another site.

    Blix, who is due to make a crucial report this week to the
    Security Council on Iraqi compliance, said destruction of the
    missiles would be a "a significant piece of real disarmament".

    U.N. experts say the roughly 100 surface-to-surface
    missiles must be destroyed because their range exceeds the
    150-km (93-mile) limit allowed under previous U.N.

    resolutions.

    Blix has told Iraq all the missiles and most components
    should be destroyed. The process is expected to take around
    two weeks.

    On the streets of Baghdad on Sunday, one resident, Hussein
    Zamil explained why he thought Iraq had agreed to destroy the
    al-Samoud missiles.

    "We have agreed, in order not to give America a pretext to
    hit Iraq and to disclose the American ill-intentions towards
    Iraq."
    Another resident, Bassam Abbass told Reuters:
    "It (destruction of al-Samoud missiles) is a successful
    step, in order not to give them any excuse or pretext (for
    war). Nothing has remained, the missiles were destroyed."


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register