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U.N. Spy Photos Show New Building at Iraqi Nuclear Sites
New York Times ^ | 9/06/02 | JULIA PRESTON

Posted on 09/06/2002 2:59:18 AM PDT by kattracks


UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 5 — A team of weapons inspectors, studying satellite photography, have identified several nuclear-related sites in Iraq where new construction or other unexplained changes have occurred since the last international inspections nearly four years ago, a United Nations official said today.

Experts in New York and Vienna have continued to scrutinize aerial photographs and pore over intelligence reports, even after United Nations inspectors pulled out of Iraq in December 1998 in advance of bombing by the United States and Britain.

Officials representing the team of nuclear inspectors in Vienna and a separate team on chemical and biological weapons based in New York said United Nations inspectors are equipped, trained and ready to go to Iraq and could begin their work within weeks if Baghdad gave permission. But they said it would take about a year to complete work to determine whether Iraq was developing prohibited weapons, and then only if Iraq cooperated fully.

A team of about 15 experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna noted the new structures and other alterations in photographs shot by a commercial satellite, said Jacques Baute, the French physicist who is the team leader of the nuclear inspectors.

The shots were compared to pictures and information from the sites gathered by inspectors the last time they were in Iraq. He declined to identify exact locations.

"We are very curious to see what is under the roof," Mr. Baute said, referring to the new buildings. "There are some activities that could be part of prohibited activities, but we have nothing now that allows us to draw a conclusion.

"We want to open any door we want to open," he said.

President Bush, facing concern from many nations over the possibility of a military strike by the United States against Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president, plans to consult over the next two days with leaders from Security Council nations to see if new action can be taken through the United Nations to confront Iraq on the weapons inspections.

But even if inspectors were allowed to return, United Nations officials acknowledge that their timetable is slower than United States officials say they want. The inspectors said it would take them about 12 months to examine locations, scrutinize documents and analyze samples to get a full picture of Iraq's weapons efforts — if they could work unimpeded.

Iraq has continued to allow annual inspections of one warehouse in a Baghdad suburb, part of the Tawaitha nuclear research center, by a different team of the atomic agency. In their last visit, in January, the inspectors did not detect any illegal weapons activity there.

But Iraq has not been reporting to the United Nations its "dual-use" imports — substances that might be used for weapons production as well as nuclear fuel — as it is required to do, according to a report released today by Hans Blix, the head of the biological and chemical weapons team.

That team, which is based in New York, was reorganized by the Security Council two years ago to make it more professional and finance it with revenues from sales of Iraqi oil, which is monitored by the United Nations. The team, which also will inspect for development of long-range missiles, now includes 63 permanent staff members from 27 countries.

After a meeting last weekend, European Union countries have been discussing the idea of setting a deadline to force Iraq to allow the United Nations inspectors to return. But diplomats in New York said that European governments had not yet decided on that course, and were waiting to hear from President Bush.

Secretary General Kofi Annan, increasingly impatient with Baghdad's delays, has resisted attempts by Iraq since August to draw him into new talks about the purpose of the inspections. Mr. Annan told Iraqi officials that their next exchange with him should be an invitation for the inspectors to return.



TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
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To: putupon
Jimmy Carter said it was just an expansion of the Iraqi Baby Milk Charity production facilities and he was gathering his tools so he could go help.

Habitat for Inhumanity?

41 posted on 09/06/2002 6:58:30 PM PDT by ET(end tyranny)
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To: Catspaw
Egads! Was there mention of what, in particular, Ritter is planning to talk about over there? Any talking head indication of whose side he's on in this engagement?

42 posted on 09/06/2002 7:30:59 PM PDT by NautiNurse
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To: Catspaw
On second thought, maybe Ritter will be wearing a tracking device so our forces will know where to bomb next.
43 posted on 09/06/2002 7:33:27 PM PDT by NautiNurse
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To: PoisedWoman
...the Nuclear Arms...

Now that's funny!!
44 posted on 09/06/2002 7:50:41 PM PDT by myrabach
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To: kattracks
"I guess these sites weren't on the tour Saddam recently gave reporters."

The headline was only a little misleading - actually these were taken by a "commercial" platform - not military spy hardware -

Interestingly enough they must turn it off every time it flies over Israel - that's the law!!!
45 posted on 09/06/2002 8:12:01 PM PDT by SEGUET
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To: Ragirl
They are useless. I am shocked the U.N. has the equipment to do this. Since when did the U.N. get a military?
46 posted on 09/06/2002 9:27:13 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: Carry_Okie
My thoughts exactly. I just posted this.
47 posted on 09/06/2002 9:28:06 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: andy_card
Who died and gave the U.N. spy planes and pilots to man them? They do not have a military.
48 posted on 09/06/2002 9:31:08 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Thirty five posts, and not a single "FReeper" had noticed.

Scary.
49 posted on 09/06/2002 10:06:03 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie
There is even another thread on this and the same thing...no one questioned or even thought? about the U.N.'s sudden recon planes, pilots, and military.
50 posted on 09/06/2002 10:43:48 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: kattracks
Gee, does that mean that Scott Ritter is full of crap as we suspect?
51 posted on 09/06/2002 10:45:54 PM PDT by doug from upland
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To: Carry_Okie
Here it is.
52 posted on 09/06/2002 10:46:24 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: NautiNurse
I cannot find it on the website, but Ritter going to Iraq and speaking to the Iraqi Parliament was reported by CNN last night and the day before.

Since he was given a few hundred grand to make a "documentary" on Iraq, Ritter has made a 180 degree turnaround, saying that Iraq doesn't possess WMD and doesn't have the capability to manufacture them. I wonder if Ritter has registered as a foreign agent in the employ of Iraq?

53 posted on 09/07/2002 4:45:35 AM PDT by Catspaw
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To: ET(end tyranny); Willie Green
LOL
54 posted on 09/07/2002 5:13:24 AM PDT by putupon
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To: TheRightGuy
Russia and China have already announced they intend to veto.

OK, so we announce the UN is now irrelevant and don't bother to ask

We're going to need to go in by sometime in October at the latest. The anticipation is not good for the economy or the stock market. This could be a more important factor in Bush's war planning than the weather, phase of moon, or whether the Euro-weenies are going to support us.

A war happening after the November elections will have people staying away from malls during the peak Christmas shopping time -- which will give the economy a bullet through the head. The war needs to be successfully completed with Sadaam's head on a pike, and all the Islamofascists scurrying for holes to hide in, by November.

55 posted on 09/07/2002 5:48:06 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor
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To: kattracks
Like any good horror movie, it's the basements of public buildings the inspectors want to check out. Saddam keeps his real horrors out of sight and under human shields.
56 posted on 09/07/2002 5:48:31 AM PDT by yoe
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To: SauronOfMordor
OK, so we announce the UN is now irrelevant and don't bother to ask

that works for me

57 posted on 09/07/2002 7:20:49 AM PDT by TheRightGuy
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To: kattracks
Wait, even though it's above his paygrade and he hasn't been there in over 4 years, shouldn't we be listening to Scott Ritter? Or Ramsay Clarke?
58 posted on 09/07/2002 12:40:34 PM PDT by doug from upland
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