US: The chief UN weapons inspector, Dr Hans Blix, in an unpublished report obtained by The Irish Times, makes clear that Iraq has failed to co-operate willingly on substance in the search for banned weapons in Iraq.
The report, to be circulated this weekend to the 15 Security Council members, details significant Iraqi co-operation on the process of inspections.
The report was prepared before Iraq's decision to start destroying its stock of missiles, which Dr Blix said at the UN yesterday was a "very significant piece of real disarmament".
It indicates that whatever judgment is made by the council on the level of co-operation by the Iraqis, the inspectors need more time to do their work.
"Without the required co-operation, disarmament and its verification will be problematic," Dr Blix writes. "However, even with the requisite co-operation it will inevitably require some time."
Since the arrival of inspectors on November 27th, 2002, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) has conducted more than 550 inspections covering some 350 sites, all without notice and with no indication that the Iraqi side ever knew in advance, Dr Blix states. The number of UNMOVIC personnel is now 202, from 60 countries.
Dr Blix's assessment of the extent of Iraqi co-operation, which under resolution 1284 (1999), is to be provided "in all respects" and under 1441 (2002), is to be "immediate, unconditional and active", comes in the 72nd and final paragraph of the 12-page document.
"During the period of time covered by the present report, Iraq could have made greater efforts to find any remaining proscribed items or provide credible evidence showing the absence of such items," he states.
"The results in terms of disarmament have been very limited so far. The destruction of missiles, which is an important operation, has not yet begun.
"Iraq could have made full use of the declaration, which was submitted on 7th December. It is hard to understand why a number of the measures which are now being taken could not have been initiated earlier.
"If they had been taken earlier, they might have borne fruit by now.
"It is only by the middle of January and thereafter that Iraq has taken a number of steps, which have the potential of resulting either in the presentation for destruction of stocks or items that are proscribed or the presentation of relevant evidence solving long-standing unresolved disarmament issues."
The report earlier summarises what Dr Blix calls "co-operation on process": "(a) After some initial difficulties with Iraq relating to escorting flights into the no-fly zones, UNMOVIC helicopters have been able to operate as requested both for transport and inspection purposes;
"(b) After some initial difficulties raised by Iraq, UNMOVIC has been able to send surveillance aircraft over the entire territory of Iraq in a manner similar to that of UNSCOM;
"(c) The Iraqi commission established to search for and present any proscribed items is potentially a mechanism of importance.
"It should, indeed, do the job that inspectors should not have to do, namely, tracing any remaining stocks or pieces of proscribed items anywhere in Iraq.
"Although appointed around 20 January, it has so far reported only a few findings: four empty 122-mm chemical munitions and, recently, two BW aerial bombs and some associated components;
"(d) The second Iraqi commission established to search for relevant documents could also be of importance, as lack of documentation or other evidence is the most common reason why quantities of items are deemed unaccounted for.
"Iraq has recently reported to UNMOVIC that the commission had found documents concerning Iraq's unilateral destruction of proscribed items.
"As of the submission of this report, the documents are being examined;
"(e) The list of names of personnel reported to have taken part in the unilateral destruction of biological and chemical weapons and missiles in 1991 will open the possibility for interviews, which, if credible, might shed light on the scope of the unilateral actions. Such interviews will soon be organised.
"Before this has occurred and an evaluation is made of the results, it is not possible to know whether they will prove to be a successful way to reduce uncertainty about the quantities unilaterally destroyed;
"(f) Iraq has proposed a scientific technical procedure to measure quantities of proscribed liquid items disposed of in 1991.
UNMOVIC experts are not very hopeful that these methods will bring meaningful results and will discuss this matter with Iraq in early March in Baghdad;
"(g) It has not yet proved possible to obtain interviews with Iraqi scientists, managers or others believed to have knowledge relevant to the disarmament tasks in circumstances that give satisfactory credibility.
"The Iraqi side reports that it encourages interviewees to accept such interviews, but the reality is that, so far, no persons not nominated by the Iraqi side have been willing to be interviewed without a tape recorder running or an Iraqi witness present."
(Elsewhere Dr Blix stated that only three of 28 individuals requested for interviews about the disposal of banned weapons had agreed.)
Under "co-operation on substance" the report lists the following:
"(a) The declaration of 7 December, despite the hopes attached to it and despite its large volume, has not been found to provide new evidence or data that may help to resolve outstanding disarmament issues.
"As has been mentioned above, it did, however, usefully shed light on the developments in the missile sector and in the sector of non-proscribed biological activities in the period 1998-2002;
"(b) The destruction of some items, e.g., small known quantities of mustard, is taking place under UNMOVIC supervision and further such action will take place, e.g., as regards the empty 122-mm chemical munitions;
"(c) Iraq has identified two aerial R-400 bombs, as well as remnants of what it states to be 118 R-400 bombs, at Azzizziyah;
"(d) The destruction of Al Samoud 2 missiles and related items declared by Iraq but found proscribed under the relevant resolutions has been requested and is due to commence on 1 March. Iraqi co-operation is essential;
"(e) The presidential decree, which was issued on 14 February and which prohibits private Iraqi citizens and mixed companies from engaging in work relating to weapons of mass destruction, standing alone, is not adequate to meet the United Nations requirements.
"UNMOVIC has enquired whether a comprehensive regulation is being prepared in line with several years of discussions between Iraq and UNSCOM (previous UN inspection agency) /UNMOVIC."
A UN spokeswoman said last night that the report would be debated next week at a time set by the president of the council. Guinea takes over the presidency from Germany on Monday.