IRAQ: SCORES OF U.N. INSPECTORS SWOOP ON AT LEAST THREE SITES NEAR BAGHDAD A DAY AFTER IRAQ CLAIMED IT HAS NO SECRET WEAPONS TO HIDE
Record ID:
649177
IRAQ: SCORES OF U.N. INSPECTORS SWOOP ON AT LEAST THREE SITES NEAR BAGHDAD A DAY AFTER IRAQ CLAIMED IT HAS NO SECRET WEAPONS TO HIDE
- Title: IRAQ: SCORES OF U.N. INSPECTORS SWOOP ON AT LEAST THREE SITES NEAR BAGHDAD A DAY AFTER IRAQ CLAIMED IT HAS NO SECRET WEAPONS TO HIDE
- Date: 23rd December 2002
- Summary: (W4) ABU GHREIB, NEAR BAGHDAD/ IRAQ (DECEMBER 23, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV: EXTERIOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) COMPOUND; INSPECTORS HEADING TO THEIR CARS 0.07 2. SV: U.N. INSPECTORS LEAVING HEADQUARTERS 0.18 3. SLV/MV; INSPECTORS ENTERING BABY MILK FACTORY; GATES BEING CLOSED (2 SHOTS) 0.28 4. MV: SIGN READING: "BILADI (MY COUNTRY'S) MILK" 0.31 5. SV: SIGN READING: "BABY MILK FACTORY" 0.35 6. SLV: INSPECTORS INSIDE THE SITE 0.50 7. VARIOUS INSPECTORS AT THE FACTORY (2 SHOTS) 1.09 8. SV/SCU: INSPECTORS CHATTING (2 SHOTS) 1.19 9. ZOOM OUT: INSPECTORS EXITING BABY MILK FACTORY 1.27 10. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE BABY MILK FACTORY YOUSSEF TAHER SAYING: "They asked about the process and the raw material that's used for production and the type and names of the chemical that are used in the laboratory." 1.41 11. VARIOUS OF EQUIPMENT AND IRON STRUCTURES IN THE FACTORY (6 SHOTS) 2.09 (W4) AL-TAJI, NEAR BAGHDAD/ IRAQ (DECEMBER 23, 2002) (REUTERS ACCESS-ALL) 12. CU: SIGN READING: "IBN BITAR RESEARCH CENTRE" 2.13 13. VARIOUS OF INSPECTORS INSIDE THE CENTRE 2.23 14. CU; IRAQI SOLDIER AT THE GATE 2.27 15. WIDE OF IRAQI EMPLOYEES AT WORK 2.31 16. CU: TAG PUT BY FORMER UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION (UNSCOM) ON EQUIPMENT 2.34 17. VARIOUS OF IRAQI WORKERS AND EQUIPMENT (4 SHOTS) 2.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th January 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ABU GHREIB AND AL-TAJI, NEAR BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA5F609RTOQR70UVK23UBU3W5L7
- Story Text: Scores of U.N. arms experts swooped down on at least
three sites near Baghdad, a day after Iraq said it had no
secret weapons to hide.
One of at least three sites visited by United Nations
(U.N.) experts on Monday (December 23) was a closed baby milk
plant.
A biological weapons team from the U.N. Monitoring,
Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) visited the
site in Abu Ghreib, 25 km (16 miles) west of the Iraqi
capital.
They got acquainted with the process of the factory and
the raw materials Iraqis used in this factory.
The facility director told reporters what inspectors asked
about while investigating the plant that closed three years
ago.
"They asked about the process and the raw material that's
used for production and the type and names of the chemical
that are used in the laboratory," said plant director Youssef
Taher.
Taher, did not say what banned material the plant had been
suspected of producing. He said the plant closed due to the
high cost of producing milk locally compared to importing it.
An UNMOVIC chemical team inspected the Ibn Bitar animal
vaccination facility in al-Taji some 10 km (six miles) north
of the capital.
Another team was at the headquarters of Faw Engineering
Company, which is run by Iraq's Military Industrialisation
Commission.
Iraq has pledged full co-operation with the inspectors who
are searching for banned weapons under a new Security Council
Resolution.
However, it denies having any such weapons.
The United States and Britain have made no secret of their
preparations for war to back up demands that Saddam come
clean.
Their war of words with Iraq has been fuelled by leaked
media reports of a predicted ground war victory in two days
and of plans for a joint seaborne invasion on Iraq, a country
that has hardly any coast.
Officials say a U.S. build-up could place more than
100,000 troops in the Gulf region in January or February. A
January 27 briefing by U.N. arms inspectors to the Security
Council is widely seen as the next key date.
jg/ ds
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