Posted on 01/24/2003 11:12:29 PM PST by HAL9000
(Baghdad, Iraq-AP) -- An unidentified man shouting "Save Me!'' has entered the compound of U-N weapons inspectors in Baghdad.
Journalists outside the compound say a man in his 20s climbed into an inspectors' vehicle as it was about to leave from the site.
He was shouting in Arabic.
The man was taken into the compound, a hotel where more than 100 inspectors and other U-N staffers have their offices.
There's been no comment from the U-N and no explanation of the incident.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Man shouting "Save me!'' enters U.N. compound
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- An unidentifed man shouting "Save me!'' entered the compound of U.N. arms inspectors on Baghdad's outskirts Saturday morning, in an otherwise unexplained incident.
Journalists outside the compound, a hotel taken over by the United Nations, said the man, in his 20s, climbed into an inspectors' vehicle as it was about to depart from the site, shouting in Arabic.
He was subsequently taken into the fenced compound by U.N. security men, the journalists said. More than 100 inspectors and staff of other U.N. agencies have their offices at the site, the three-story former Canal Hotel, about four miles from the city center.
The spokesman for the U.N. inspection agency, Hiro Ueki, was not immediately available for comment. Iraqi officials said they had no information on the incident.
The incident occurred as inspectors were setting out on their daily rounds of unannounced visits to Iraqi sites to determine whether any work is being done on forbidden weapons.
It came just two days before chief inspectors are to submit reports to the U.N. Security Council on whether Iraq is cooperating with their work, begun in late November.
Although it was not immediately clear whether the unidentified man was somehow linked to the arms investigation, the incident may affect already tense relations between the international monitors and the Iraqi government.
The inspectors have been particularly eager to find Iraqi scientists, engineers or other specialists who may have information about any continuing programs to develop chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, prohibited to Iraq under U.N. resolutions.
The Iraqis have generally cooperated with the inspectors' field missions, but chief inspector Hans Blix has complained about difficulties in other areas, such as Iraq's reluctance to allow overflights by reconnaissance aircraft.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The first thing that came to my mind when seeing this thread was, the bombs have started to fall, or he heard the rumor of such.
Man with Knives Tries to Enter UN Baghdad Office
Sat January 25, 2003 02:19 AM ETBAGHDAD (Reuters) - A man wielding two knives tried to enter the building housing U.N. arms inspectors in Baghdad on Saturday, witnesses said, but was stopped by guards.
A Reuters cameraman and driver saw Iraqi guards and U.N. security stop the man, who held the knives in his hands and appeared to be Iraqi in his twenties.
The weapons inspectors were preparing to leave for daily inspections of Iraqi sites.
Another person jumped into one of the inspectors' cars as it was leaving the headquarters and tried to seize documents before Iraqi guards seized him.
U.N. officials were not available for comment.
This was the first such incident since weapons inspectors resumed their work on November 27 after a four-year absence. The inspections have aroused much resentment among Iraqis.
The inspectors are to deliver a report on their work to the U.N. Security Council on Monday, which could begin a countdown for a possible U.S. invasion to force Iraq to disarm.
Incident at the beginning of the inspectors of UNO of their HQ
A young Iraqi temporarily seized Saturday a car of the inspectors in disarmament of UNO, at the exit of their HQ of Baghdad, with the cries of "save me!", before being controlled and given to the Iraqi authorities, a photographer of the AFP.L' man, old noted of a score of years, blocked the passage of a convoy of the inspectors at their exit of their HQ, the Channel Hotel, throwing himself on the cap of one of the cars, forcing it with arrêter.Il the door of the vehicle opened and taken the place of the driver who left there. "Save me please, save me please!", the young man in anglais.L' man shouted refused to go to the Iraqi guards posted in front of the Channel Hotel, requiring the intervention of the safety of the United Nations of which one of the members succeeded in making it leave the véhicule.Il was given thereafter to the Iraqi soldiers in charge of the protection of the Channel Hotel which retained it in the car park at the entry of the establishment where it started to shout "Allah Akbar" (God is more grand).Les mobile of the man were not known in the immediate future. The incident lasted ten minutes.
BC-APNewsAlert,0029BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- In separate incidents, two men, one carrying knives, enter U.N. compound in Baghdad and are taken into custody.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
I thought Scott Ritter had cancelled his trip to Baghdad...?
A guy comes up yelling "save me" and then tries to seize documents in a car already surrounded by Iraqi guards...
(So, wonder if there was an unseen document switch amid the fuss?)
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