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.
The UN has a chance to save a young man from a murderous dictator and what do they do? They hand him over to a almost-certain death.
The UN never met a murderous dictator that they didn't like.
I'm trying to find out, but I have a slow dial-up Internet connection.
Two men, one with knives, enter U.N. compound in Baghdad compound
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A man carrying three knives entered the U.N. inspectors' compound on Baghdad's outskirts Saturday morning and was taken into custody by Iraqi authorities, U.N. officials reported. A short time later, a second man shouting "Save me!" and carrying a notebook was taken into the U.N. site.
The two otherwise unexplained incidents may heighten U.N.-Iraqi tensions on the eve of a crucial inspectors report to be submitted to the U.N. Security Council. It was unclear whether the two incidents were related.
In the first, about 7:50 a.m., a man identified in a preliminary report as an Iraqi government employee managed to enter the U.N. compound through a side entrance. He emerged in a parking lot and was apprehended by Iraqi and U.N. security men, Baghdad U.N. spokesman Hiro Ueki said.
"He was carrying three knives," Ueki said. "He was handed over to the Iraqi police." Ueki said he had no further details.
In the second incident, occurring outside the compound's nearby main entrance about 45 minutes later, a man appearing to be in his 20s ran in front of inspectors' vehicles as they left the site to begin their daily field missions, said journalists who were there.
The first two vehicles swerved around him, but the third stopped, the witnesses said. "Save me!" he shouted in Arabic and English, after which he was allowed to enter the vehicle. He was carrying a notebook, witnesses said.
Appearing shaken and frightened, he sat inside the white U.N.-marked utility vehicle for 10 minutes. At first, an inspection team leader sought help from nearby Iraqi soldiers, but the man refused to leave the vehicle. U.N. security men then arrived and took him inside the fenced compound, 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 incident occurred as inspectors were setting out on their daily rounds of 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.
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.
And the Iraqi soldier let him stay with the UN .. I don't know but something doesn't smell right
I'm also wondering if the second was working for us--was discovered--and needed to make an emergency exit? Such public display would make it far more difficult for anyone to hand him back over to Hussein.
Iraqi Scientist to Meet U.N. Inspectors
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi scientist arrived at a Baghdad hotel for a possible interview with U.N. arms inspectors on Saturday, a day after Washington accused Iraq of blocking private meetings between scientists and the U.N. experts. Witnesses said an unidentified Iraqi scientist had entered the al-Hayat hotel where inspectors are staying. He was accompanied by officials of the Iraqi Monitoring Directorate, which liaises with the U.N. experts.
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