U.N. Inspectors Fail to Win Key Iraq Concessions

Washingtonpost.com ^ | Feb. 10, 2003 | Rajiv Chandrasekaran

[Ganndy]

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 9 -- The top U.N. arms experts said tonight that they were unable to reach agreement with Saddam Hussein's government on several key issues they had traveled here to resolve in a bid to build support for continuing weapons inspections.

The two chief U.N. inspectors, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, failed to achieve three top goals during two days of meetings with senior Iraqi officials: the disclosure of significant new evidence about Iraq's past weapons programs, safety guarantees from Iraq for reconnaissance aircraft to aid in inspections; and a high-level declaration criminalizing the production of nuclear, chemical or biological arms.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48929-2003Feb9.html

[O6ret]

"It's 5 minutes to midnight."

Blix should stick to inspecting. The requirements of the UN resolution are well understood. There's no basis to negotiate anything. He has no charter to negotiate on behalf of the UN, the US or anybody else.

As Blix said earlier in the week: "It's 5 minutes to midnight."

[Mo1]

If it gets us out of the UN and the UN out of this country that is certainly a bright spot in all of this.

That would be nice

[PhiKapMom]

Saw you on the other thread about the Inspectors -- now read this Wash Post article. The two articles are in direct contrast!

[PhiKapMom]

Can you believe the difference in the Reuters article and this one?

Which way are the numbskulls aka inspectors swinging?

[PhiKapMom]

Would like to see the UN evicted from the soil of the United States once and for all!

[WarHawk42]

The sooner the better.

[DoughtyOne]

You probably read these better than I did. The opening paragraphs are different, but don't they gel more as the articles go along?

I am surprised that the WP would start off negative. Being the leftist rag they are, I would expect them to make the rosey report, claiming a breakthrough.

[Mo1]

There is a HUGE difference .. like those documents

The inspectors did receive several documents that Iraqi officials said would answer long-standing questions about Iraq's past nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs, specifically the production of anthrax bacteria and VX nerve gas, as well as the development of two rockets U.N. experts believe can exceed a 93-mile limit imposed on Iraqi missiles. But one U.N. official who saw the papers characterized them as "talking points" and not the sort of new evidence the inspectors had been seeking.

Saddam is stalling and Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb are looking like complete fools

[PhiKapMom]

It is the opening paragraphs from here that hit me. The difference of day and night. The opening of this article and the ending also don't seem to track as going together in one article! That's why I wanted your opinion. I have reread both of them several times.

The Reuters article was more like what I observed in the press conference from the two! This article was a 180 in the opening paragraphs!

[PhiKapMom]

Glad you weighed in. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started reading this and then read Reuters.

[WKB]

Tick Tock,Tick Tock,Tick Tock,Tick Tock,Tick Tock,

[Mo1]

Well it's hard to keep up with these moroons

One minute Bilx is saying there is hope for Iraq and the next minute he's saying it's 5 minute till midnight

Blix has been all over the place with these inspections and Iraq that he is making himself look like a fool

[PhiKapMom]

Blix is a total fool and for his sidekick -- what can I say -- his name is too long for me to remember and he is not worth the time to do it anyways!

Looks like their days are numbered as the clock ticks down!

[Mo1]

Looks like their days are numbered as the clock ticks down!

That's my thinking ..