IRAQ: UNSCOM INSPECTORS RESUME FULL-SCALE OPERATIONS IN IRAQ

Record ID: 858187

  • Title: IRAQ: UNSCOM INSPECTORS RESUME FULL-SCALE OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
  • Date: 12th December 1998
  • Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 12, 1998) (RTV) GV: WIDE OF UNSCOM HEADQUARTERS GV: CONVOY OF MONITORS' CARS ARRIVES AT COMPOUND (2 SHOTS) CU: UNITED NATIONS SIGN GV: VARIOUS OF MONITORS MOVING AROUND COMPOUND (2 SHOTS) GV: CONVOY LEAVING GV: MOSQUE GV: TRAFFIC GV/MV/CU: MAN READING PAPER (3 SHOTS) GV/PAN: SADDAM HUSSEIN STATUE MV: IMFORMATION MINISTER HUMAM ABDEL-KHALEQ HUGGED BY PASSER-BY CU: MAN BLOWING HIS TRUMPET (2 SHOTS) MCU: DEAD SHEEP FOR FEAST MV: ABDEL-KHALEQ SEATED WITH COLLEAGUES SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABDEL-KHALEQ: "If UNSCOM people follow the modalities of the sensitive sights then I myself would not forsee any problems. But what do I expect Mr Butler to say on Thursday or Wednesday I don't know when? I think only god knows........I hope that this will be the last stage, the last phase for food and medicine for oil and everybody knows that this is a temporary measure between Iraq and the Security Council - it's not a permanent one so we hope that this will be a final stage" GV/CU: STATUE OF SADDAM (2 SHOTS) GV/MV: WIDE OF NON-ALLIGNED STUDENTS AND YOUTH ORGANISATION MEETING (2 SHOTS) MV: IRAQI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT THE CONFERENCE CU: (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) FROM MEMBER OF IRAQ'S COMMAND OF THE ARAB BA'ATH SOCIALIST PARTY, GHANI ABDUL-GHAFOUR GV: WIDE OF NASYO MEETING
  • Embargoed: 27th December 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • City:
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC776KH4SOC9JBIJQW703AO1WF
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: United Nations weapons inspectors resumed full-scale operations in Iraq on Saturday and sources played down the reported cancellation on Friday of activities by a team at the centre of an earlier dispute.
    U.N.Special Commission (UNSCOM) spokeswoman Caroline Cross said on Saturday (December 12 that UNSCOM were carrying out their full range of activities.
    She declined to confirm an Iraqi report that a team of inspectors led by Australian Roger Hill, which was denied full access to offices of Iraq's ruling Baath Party on Wednesday, had cancelled planned inspections on Friday.
    But UNSCOM sources said the report, if true, was of "no great significance", citing a range of logistical reasons why inspections could be called off or delayed.
    UNSCOM has reported a number of cases of Iraqi interference over the last week, primarily the Baath Party incident.It said a biological weapons team had also postponed an inspection after Iraqi officials imposed conditions on the team.
    But diplomats in Baghdad have questioned whether some of the incidents represent major infringements of UNSCOM work.
    UNSCOM chairman Richard Butler is expected to report on Iraq's cooperation to U.N.Secretary-General Kofi Annan next week.
    Iraqi Information Minister Humam Abdel-Khaleq told Reuters Television on Saturday that he did not forsee any more problems if UNSCOM showed more commonsense at sensitive sights.He added that he did not know what Butler would say next week.
    The inspectors, charged with scrapping Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, have stepped up their work to test Iraq's compliance with a November pledge to resume full cooperation.
    Iraq had stopped all UNSCOM operations last month, accusing the inspectors of dragging out their work to prolong sanctions imposed for Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
    Its decision nearly triggered military confrontation with the United States and Britain, who say they could still use military force if Iraq is deemed to have reneged on its pledge.
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