UNMOVIC's Hans Blix briefing reporters Speaking on the day the last United Nations weapons monitors were withdrawn from Iraq, the top inspector, Hans Blix, Tuesday said he feels the inspections should not have been stopped at this stage.
"I don't think it is reasonable to close the door to inspections after three and a half months," Mr. Blix, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), said in answer to questions during a briefing of the U.N. Correspondents Association in New York. He added that he did not think Security Council resolution 1441, adopted in November, foresaw such a short inspection time.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday ordered the withdrawal of all U.N. personnel, including UNMOVIC inspectors, after receiving information from the United Kingdom and United States regarding the continued safety and security of U.N. personnel in Iraq.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday ordered the withdrawal of all U.N. personnel, including UNMOVIC inspectors, after receiving information from the United Kingdom and United States regarding the continued safety and security of U.N. personnel in Iraq.
Mr. Blix, who is to discuss a work plan of remaining disarmament issues today at the Security Council, also said the inspectors had never asserted that Iraq had any remaining weapons of mass destruction, only that there were a lot of things unaccounted for. It would be interesting, he added, to see what would come out when people go in and can go anywhere and examine the sort of intelligence the inspectors never had access to.
He also said he did not think Iraq would use chemical or biological weapons in a war with a U.S.-led coalition, although it had the know-how to produce and deliver chemical weapons.
He also said he did not think Iraq would use chemical or biological weapons in a war with a U.S.-led coalition, although it had the know-how to produce and deliver chemical weapons.