DATE=6/7/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N / IRAQ WEAPONS INSPECTION (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263271
BYLINE=BRECK ARDERY
DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  The head of the U-N Weapons Inspection team 
for Iraq said today (Wednesday) his office will be 
ready to go to work by late August, but there is still 
no indication that Iraq will allow such inspections. 
VOA Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from the United 
Nations. 

TEXT:  After a private meeting with the U-N Security 
Council, Hans Blix met briefly with reporters, saying 
the staffing of his office of weapons inspectors is 
proceeding on schedule.

            /// BLIX ACT ///

      The Council asked me when, in the best case, 
      could we be operational?  My answer was that now 
      that we are going ahead with the recruitment and 
      the training course of four weeks duration in 
      the summer, I would think we can start to 
      undertake some inspections to see what has been 
      happening in the year and a half that has passed 
      would be toward the end of August.

            /// END ACT ///

There have been  no  international weapons inspections 
in Iraq since December of 1998.  Late last year the 
United Nations authorized a new inspection program, 
named UNMOVIC, under Security Council resolution 1284. 
However, the Iraqi government has said it will  not 
allow inspections.  Even so, Mr. Blix is hopeful that 
inspections will eventually be allowed.

            /// 2nd BLIX ACT ///

      Baghdad's public position is that they reject 
      resolution 1284 so how could they have any 
      discussions with UNMOVIC at the present time? At 
      the same time, I am sure that the Baghdad 
      government is looking at many different 
      questions surrounding 1284 and how we are 
      building up UNMOVIC and eventually I think they 
      will give a more definitive reply.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Blix says he personally believes it would be to 
the Iraqi government's advantage to cooperate with U-N 
weapons inspectors.  The Security Council has 
indicated that cooperation with weapons inspectors 
could lead to the lifting of international sanctions 
against Iraq.  After the Council's private meeting, it 
issued a public statement that again called on Iraq to 
cooperate with the inspections. (Signed) 

NEB/UN/BA/LSF/ENE/KL



07-Jun-2000 16:13 PM EDT (07-Jun-2000 2013 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.