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Monday, Dec. 30, 2002

Hiro Ueki told reporters at a Baghdad press briefing that the list contained over 500 names of scientists associated with Iraqi weapons, including chemical, biological, nuclear or ballistic missile programs.

Iraq produced the list on request by the U.N. inspections leader Hans Blix, who wrote to Iraqi Lt. Gen. Amir Sadi Dec. 12 according to a provision included in Resolution 1441. The decree was passed unanimously Nov. 8 by the U.N. Security Council to authorize the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq, and warned of "serious consequences" if the Iraqis did not cooperate.

The list "is useful potentially for two reasons," said Ewan Buchanan, a spokesman for the inspection team at its New York headquarters. "First, it may provide people for interviews and second, it may fill in gaps of knowledge about the programs -- who worked where, when and with what." It may also reveal interrelationships between various personnel, he added.

Inspectors with the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, or UNMOVIC, began interviewing scientists earlier this week, starting Tuesday at Baghdad's Technical University. Their questions focused mostly the nature of graduate courses and research, according to a university spokesman.

On Friday experts spoke with Iraqi metallurgist Kazem Jamil who "provided technical details of a military program" under scrutiny as a possible clandestine nuclear program, said Ueki Friday in Baghdad.

Buchanan told United Press International in a telephone interview that the list next goes to UNMOVIC headquarters in New York, where officials will decide how and when to use it.

The spokesman noted the list, which he described as "part of an ongoing process," was expected. The Iraqis indicated "some weeks ago" they were preparing it and promised earlier this week to turn it over by Dec. 29, he said.

In related news Saturday, an Iran-based Iraqi opposition group sought U.N. recognition in return for disclosing what it claims to be Baghdad's nuclear plans.

At a news conference on Saturday, a top member of the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq, Abdul Aziz Hakim, said the Iraqi dissidents had "important evidence and documents" to prove that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He said his group was willing to the "detailed" information at the disposal of the United Nations, promising "the work of U.N. inspection team would be greatly facilitated."

"We have important evidence of and documents on weapons of mass destruction," Abdul Aziz Hakim, brother of Ayatollah Mohammad-Baqer Hakim who heads the Shiite group said. "In case the U.N. establishes links with Iraqi dissidents and recognizes us, we will be ready for cooperation."

Hakim, who represented the Supreme Assembly two weeks ago at the five-day conference in London attended by some 50 Iraqi opposition groups, regretted that "so far, the United Nations has only cooperated with the Iraqi regime and not the Iraqi opposition." He also rejected Israeli reports that Baghdad had transferred parts of weapons to Syria.

In Washington, President George Bush declared in his weekly radio address that" the burden now is on Iraq's dictator to disclose and destroy his arsenal of weapons. If he refuses, then for the sake of peace, the United States will lead a coalition to disarm the Iraqi regime and free the Iraqi people."

Iraq, accused by the United States of developing weapons of mass destruction, has been hosting the U.N. disarmament team for a second month starting Saturday. Inspectors visited at least five sites, including chemical manufacturing complex.

Baghdad maintains that it no longer possesses or seeks to possess such weapons but Washington and London say they have proof to the contrary, warning that they will disarm Iraq by force if necessary.

Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

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Editor's note:
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