Posted on 11/08/2002 12:06:33 PM PST by HAL9000
Hans Blix in Baghdad on November 18
Friday November 08, 2002 - 18h52 GMT
New York (the United Nations), Nov. 8 (AFP) - the head of the inspectors in disarmament of the United Nations Hans Blix announced Friday that it would go to Baghdad on November 18.
The executive director of the checking and, inspection Audit Board of UNO (COCOVINU) made this advertisement with the press at the conclusion of the meeting of the Security Council during which the resolution 1441 on disarmament of Iraq was adopted unanimously.
"We are happy that the resolution was adopted unanimously because that reinforces our mandate", underlined Mr. Blix.
In Vienna, a spokesman of International Atomic Energy Agency (AEIA), the agency of the United Nations having to carry out the inspections in Iraq in.liaison.with the COCOVINU, also let know that the inspectors could be in Baghdad on November 18, if Iraq accepts the adopted resolution 1441 Friday by the Security Council.
"We will send a total of twenty inspectors, twelve with the title of the COCOVINU and eight for the IAEA", specified Melissa Fleming, spokesman of the IAEA.
Hans Blix and the head of the IAEA, Mohammed El Baradei, should go to Baghdad with the head of a first team, it added.
"This advanced team will be charged to set up an operational structure and to lead limited inspections", specified Mrs. Fleming. "Approximately a week later, the inspections will be led in natural size. It will take nevertheless several weeks so that we have (on the spot) a completely operational infrastructure ", it added.
The IAEA was said "satisfied" with the resolution which gives him "an immediate access and without any restriction on all the sites and all the people" in Iraq, underlined Mrs. Fleming. "In certain fields, the resolution extends even our powers to carry out investigations", it added in reference to the access to the Iraqi presidential palate authorized by the text.
Iraq has seven days to accept the resolution and Baghdad was already informed that, if it does not coopérait fully with the inspectors, it risked a military attack.
Got to love it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.