Iraq Says to Hand in Weapons Declaration on Dec 7

Reuters ^ | 12/03/02 | Reuters

[blondee123]

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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq will hand in a key declaration on its banned weapons programs on December 7 but it will not necessarily include an admission that the country has weapons of mass destruction, the chief Iraqi official liaising with U.N. arms experts said on Tuesday.

"We are going to deliver this declaration in the proper time on the seventh of this month and the people here, the UNMOVIC and IAEA, will take this declaration to New York and Vienna," Hussam Mohammed Amin, head of the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate told reporters.

Asked if the declaration would include any new elements, he said: "Of course the declaration will have new elements but these new elements will not, shall we say, necessarily include a declaration of the presence of weapons of mass destruction.

"We are a country devoid of weapons of mass destruction. This fact is known to all countries including the United States of America and Britain and all those concerned."

U.S. President George Bush said Iraq must supply a "credible and complete" list of its nuclear, biological and chemical weapons by Sunday -- the December 8 deadline set by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 giving Baghdad one last chance to disarm or face war.

[tuna_battle]

"Look for the UN inspectors to become hostages. Wouldn't surprise me in the least".

Why not have a strategy whereby the inspectors can leave the country "temporarily" for a holiday break? After all, if you're the Iraqi gov't, you're not going to find this request unusual, at this time of year. This would allow all to exit safely.

[truth_seeker]

Regardless of what Iraq claims on 7th Dec. 2002, the US and Britain truly believe there are remaining WMD.

The US and Britain will reveal pretty hard evidence, contradicting Iraq's claim of no WMD.

Iraq hopes to buy time, get the UN to debate, obfuscate, delay, etc.

Bush and Blair MAY set a deadline, for pre-emptive military actions. They will say the danger is too great, to wait for the UN.

And while the UN debates, beyond and thru the deadline, a "rolling start" will be initiated, into Iraq. Priority will be high to prevent harm to Israel.

My 2 cents. We live in interesting and dangerous times.

[blondee123]

Bush & Blair know something, the loophole in the resolution is that the inspectors don't have to prove a thing, it's up to saddam to prove he DOESN'T have wmd!! Kaboom!!

[txhurl]

And a good two cents it is.

As another FReeper noted, we or someone dear to us may have sold them some items that had better show up on the declaration. If they don't, we show them the receipt and it's on.