Annan Hopes UN Weapons Inspectors will Return to Iraq

United Nations News Center ^ | 4/1/03

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1 April-Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today he hoped United Nations weapons inspectors would eventually return to Iraq, noting that their work had merely been suspended.

Speaking to reporters upon arriving at UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General said that if any weapons of mass destruction were to be found, the inspectors should go back to test them. "I hope the time will come when they will be able to do that," he added.

Asked about what consequences it might have for the legitimacy of military action if such weapons are not found, the Secretary-General noted that, although the issue before the Security Council was one of disarmament, "the Council had not endorsed this war."

As for Iraqi threats concerning suicide attacks throughout the Arab world, the Secretary-General stressed that, "if we were to have suicide attacks around the world, most people would see it as illegal, it would be seen as terror against innocent civilians."

Turning to the humanitarian situation, the Secretary-General said he was concerned about the conditions in the besieged Iraqi cities. "With the hot season coming on, if you have no water and electricity, it can lead to sanitation problems," he said. "I know efforts have been made by the Red Cross and some of the others on the ground to get the water up and running and that is what we would expect."

In reply to a question about what the UN could do "way down the road," Mr. Annan said that while the main focus now was on the humanitarian situation, the Council would discuss the UN's future role and perhaps ask the world body to take on additional responsibilities as it has done in other situations. "It is not excluded that the UN will play an important role but that is a question that the Council will have to deal with," he added.

The Secretary-General was also asked about feelings among Arab ambassadors that he had not been vocal enough about what was happening in Iraq. "I think I have said enough - before the war - and even now I've been saying a lot about war," he replied, adding that those who wanted the war to end and the UN to bring about a ceasefire would obviously want him and the Council to be "a bit more active on that front."

On calls for a General Assembly meeting to condemn the war, the Secretary-General said there had been discussions about it and he was not sure if delegates had agreed on it or not, "but obviously there's lots of unhappiness in this building about the war."

Video of Kofi Annan speaking to reporters

[Credo]

There's over a 100,000 inspectors in Iraq right now with 1000 aerial overflights.

[wastoute]

What planet has he been visiting for the last two weeks!

[joesnuffy]

Anna hopes he can get his hands in the pockets of Iraq again

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[MEG33]

Help me!I can't bear another Kofi pronouncement.

[conservativecorner]

This man does not live in a state of reality. Why would we need them to return other than to document what we find. Screw him and the UN!!

[rrrod]

if the UN, France or Germany is allowed back in Iraq ..we lost the war

[Wright is right!]

Seems as though Coffee Adman has developed X-42 Syndrome, primary symptom of which is the inability to go through a given day without bleating his own self-importance before a bank of cameras and microphones.

Don't call us, Coffin, we'll call YOU.

Michael

[KriegerGeist]

Probably why Blix resigned. He doesn't want to go inspecting burned-out weapons with bar-b-q'ed corpses in them...."hey Blix, check out this banned and illegal missile and it's launcher...it's busted and what's all this red goo all over it?"

[cynicom]

Tell this irrelevant fool to go away.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

[conservativecorner]

That will not be a problem once we secure the country. The 2 banned missiles found yesterday are only the start.

[Diogenesis]

"Forget the UN. It's dead, Jim. "

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THE UN's AND KOFI ANNAN[EMPEROR OF TERRORISTS]'s CREDIBILITY

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[11B3]

FUN! F the UN.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Kofi took a drag on his reefer, held his breath for a long time, and then, as he exhaled, he opened his eyes slightly, and said that he hoped United Nations weapons inspectors would eventually return to Iraq, noting that their work had merely been suspended.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Annan meets with Arab countries for talks on situation in Iraq