ACCESSION NUMBER:00000

FILE ID:96062402.NNE

DATE:06/24/96

TITLE:24-06-96  U.N. SECURES IRAQ'S PLEDGE TO ALLOW WEAPONS EXPERTS ACCESS



TEXT:

(UNSCOM convinced Iraq still hiding weapons materials) (740)

By Judy Aita

USIA United Nations Correspondent



United Nations -- While Baghdad has agreed to allow U.N. weapons

inspectors unlimited access to all sites, the head of the Special

Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons (UNSCOM)

expressed the hope June 24 that the pledge "will be translated into

substance" because the U.N. remains convinced that Iraq is still

concealing details of their banned weapons programs and thus will

continue unannounced, intrusive inspections.



Returning from a week of talks in Baghdad, UNSCOM Chairman Rolf Ekeus

announced that Iraq and the U.N. signed an agreement saying that Iraq

will allow UNSCOM weapons inspectors "immediate, unconditional and

unrestricted access to all sites which the Commission or the IAEA

(International Atomic Energy Commission) may wish to inspect."



"This, as I see it, is a very important, very important agreement on a

limited problem, namely the question of operations and the access that

has been a matter of confrontation," Ekeus said.



"It appears to be solved and ... I have full confidence that this will

hold. Obviously we will test it," he said, adding that planning has

begun for the next surprise inspection.



"We will be obliged to do (unannounced inspections), because on

substance nothing has happened during this mission. Iraq is still,

according to our analysis, concealing some important components and

weapons and also concealing important documents related to explaining

their program," the UNSCOM chairman said.



Now that the inspection issue has been settled, Ekeus said, "the main

sore point in our relations" is that "Iraq is denying any concealment

but we are insisting that there is concealment."



The Security Council, demanding that its cease-fire resolution be

honored, sent Ekeus to Baghdad to secure access for U.N. weapons

experts and "to engage in a forward-looking dialogue on other issues

under the commission's mandate" after Baghdad barred 54 inspectors

from four Republican Guard sites earlier in the month.



Ekeus said that the problem arose because the same "institutions that

are involved in the concealment" of weapons programs are responsible

for the security of Iraqi leaders. "This is probably why we ran into

problems," he said.



Iraq and the Commission also agreed "to intensify their work" so that

UNSCOM will be able to report to the council that all the banned

chemical, biological, nuclear, and ballistic weapons and their

programs have been eliminated and are under long-term surveillance.

That is the basic requirement for lifting of the oil embargo.



Ekeus met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and other Iraqi

officials during his visit. His mission ended with the Iraqi

leadership accepting the joint statement in which the U.N. reiterated

its pledge to "respect the legitimate security concerns of Iraq."



During a press conference at U.N. headquarters June 24, Ekeus

underlined the word "legitimate" in the agreement.



"Hiding proscribed and prohibited items is not legitimate and it is

not a legitimate concern. That is a policy we have had from the

beginning," Ekeus said.



Iraq turned over what it called "full, final, and complete"

disclosures on its biological and chemical weapons programs and is to

turn over the disclosures on their long-range missile and nuclear

weapons programs by the end of June. The UNSCOM chairman said that the

U.N. will then begin to independently verify the material through more

inspections, interviews of Iraqi officials, and "other means."



"We are convinced about one thing: that Iraq is concealing

(information)," Ekeus said.



He said UNSCOM believes that Iraq is concealing weapons and/or data

not only by hiding them in "exotic or remote facilities or sensitive

facilities," but by moving materials around the country.



"Sensitive items may be stored upon trucks or other means of transport

and they are kept on constant alert," Ekeus said. "Iraq has admitted

that before August 1995 ... they had material stored on trucks and

when our inspectors came into the airport the trucks started to move

around the country."



"When our team left, the trucks went back to safe houses, farms, and

other installations for resting until the next team came in," he said.



"These highly dynamic methods of storing things make it very difficult

for us. That means we need quick action" when trying to verify Iraq's

statements, Ekeus said.

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