U.N. Spy Photos Show New Building at Iraqi Nuclear Sites

New York Times ^ | 9/06/02 | JULIA PRESTON

[kattracks]

NITED 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.

[kattracks]

I guess these sites weren't on the tour Saddam recently gave reporters.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Big bear trap closes on pseudo-dove appeasers and the DNC. [Metallic scraping sound, followed by painful scream.] And this, I believe, is just the beginning. Satisfied Freegards....

[Ragirl]

Welll.....this article explains why some say weapons inspections are useless.

[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.

[Rays_Dad]

"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."


See I heard wrong, I was told the building was the national headquarters for the Womens Rights Movement of Iraq and that Hildabeast was gathering her tools to go help build.

Chip

[myrabach]

Actually its another Habitat for Humanity project... condos!

[putupon]

"and that Hildabeast was gathering her tools to go help build."

The Beast's favorite tool could be used in pouring concrete.

[chiefqc]

I wonder if tratior tiny tommie as*hole is"troubled" by this?

[krodriguesdc]

LOL

[Dacus943]

"U.N. Spy Photos Show New Building at Iraqi Nuclear Sites"

Actually the headline should read:

"Spy Photos Show New TARGETS at Iraqi Nuclear Sites"

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Baby Milk Factory

[Jeremiah Jr]

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

Huh?

[andy_card]

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.

I may be wrong, but I think the Security Council will approve the attack on Saddam. Five nations have vetoes. The US and Britain are obviously going to vote for it, the French will whine publicly but won't want to be the scapegoat, the Chinese will probably abstain since they don't want to loose favored-nation trade status and other perks from Congress, and the Russians may just join us as a means of promoting that thawing out between Pooty-Poot and Bush.

If I were Bush, I'd go for it.

[KS Flyover]

Baby Milk Factory

Yes, they needed to build a new one.

[TheRightGuy]

the Chinese will probably abstain since they don't want to loose favored-nation trade status and other perks from Congress, and the Russians may just join us as a means of promoting that thawing out between Pooty-Poot and Bush.

Russia and China have already announced they intend to veto.

[Chad Fairbanks]

"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."

See I heard wrong, I was told the building was the national headquarters for the Womens Rights Movement of Iraq and that Hildabeast was gathering her tools to go help build.

That's not what I heard, I was told the building was a new Cathouse and that Bill Clinton was gathering his tool and...

[NautiNurse]

I wonder whether Scott Ritter is back with the program (literally and figuratively).

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Satellite photography shows construction at Iraqi nuclear sites -AP Breaking News
GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer
(09-06) 05:34 PDT VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Satellite imagery shows unexplained construction at several sites of interest to U.N. inspectors seeking entry to Iraq to look for evidence that Baghdad is developing nuclear weapons, the ins...

[lavaroise]

Carter is more worried about the welfare of thugs and the necessary ethnic cleansing of Israelies in "settlements" for sake of peopling the world of arab terrorists than American independent and free lives at peace. This in other words is Carter's seek and twisted view of "human" rights ... in other words the support of a fraud of fake martyrs .