Blix Says Iraq Violated U.N. Sanctions

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EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. weapons inspectors said Thursday they have not found any "smoking guns" and want more cooperation from Iraq, especially on allowing scientists who might have knowledge of Iraqi weapons programs to be interviewed in private.

Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix also told the U.N. Security Council that Iraq had acknowledged importing parts for its missile program, a violation of U.N. sanctions.

Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, who leads nuclear inspections in Iraq, told the council they need more time in their search. Baghdad, they said, had not taken a "proactive" approach, failing to answer outstanding questions or give full lists of scientists whom inspectors want to interview.

"We are not able to have interviews in Iraq in private and that does not show the proactive cooperation we seek," ElBaradei said after he and Blix briefed the council on the progress of inspections and assessments of Iraq's 12,000-page weapons declaration.

Blix told the council that Iraq has not made a "serious effort" to respond to his request for scientists' names.

Blix said that after two months of inspections "covering the country in ever wider sweeps ... we haven't found any smoking guns."

But he told the council that "absence of a smoking gun and the prompt access which we have had so far ... is no guarantee that prohibited stocks or activities could not exist at other sites, whether above ground, underground or in mobile units."

U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte called on Iraq to admit to weapons programs "it maintains, even today." more

-- Anonymous, January 09, 2003


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