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Blix Disputes Iraq's Claims on Biological Weapons
2 hours, 35 minutes ago

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations (news - web sites) disputed Iraq (news - web sites)'s claim to have destroyed 21,000 liters of biological warfare agents, including anthrax, 12 years ago, according to a report to be released on Friday.

Iraq had declared 2,230 gallons anthrax but the report estimates that 5,447 gallons of germ agents stored in bulk during the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) included about 2,641 gallons of anthrax.

The report, a draft of which was obtained by Reuters, gives 29 "clusters" or groups of weapons programs and a "to do" list for Iraq in order to satisfy U.N. Security Council demands that Baghdad account for its weapons of mass destruction programs.

The 167-page report was drawn up by the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, headed by Hans Blix and will be distributed to ministers at a key meeting on Friday. It is separate from an oral report he will present.

It compiles every weapons program, past and present, and says what Iraq has done and what it needs to do, thereby giving ammunition to those Security Council members who say inspection are getting somewhere and need to continue and those who say the report shows how Iraq is not fulfilling U.N. demands.

Blix questioned Iraqi statements that it had stored all bulk biological warfare agents during the 1991 Gulf War at the Al Hakam plant and destroyed those unused after the war.

"There is credible information available to UNMOVIC that indicates that the bulk agent, including anthrax, was in fact deployed during the 1991 Gulf War," the report said. "The question then arises as to what happened to it after the war."

"Based on this information, UNMOVIC estimates that about 5,547 gallons of biological warfare agent was stored in bulk at locations remote from Al Hakam. About half of this, about 2,641 gallons was anthrax," Blix wrote in the report.

"It therefore seems highly probable that the destruction of the bulk agent, including anthrax, stated by Iraq to be at Al Hakam in July-August 1991 did not occur," the report said."

Blix said Iraq needed to provide documentation or other evidence to support its account.

MORE MISSILES THAN THOUGHT

The new report also said Iraq may be producing more banned missiles in addition to the Al Samoud 2 rockets it is now destroying and had declared last year to inspectors.

"Other missiles systems with ranges in excess of 93 miles may possibly be under development or planned," the report said.

"Indications of this come from solid propellant casting chambers Iraq has acquired, through recent import, indigenous production or from the repair or old chambers," said the report.

Blix had ordered the Al Samouds destroyed.

The report had been eagerly awaited by nations opposed to war, who believe inspectors are working and should continue for months. Canada, on the other hand, has proposed the "outstanding issues" be turned into "benchmarks" with deadlines for Iraq to meet by March 28.

But for the United States and Britain, however, the report shows how many weapons issues Iraq has not yet clarified, despite Blix's comments to reporters on Wednesday that Iraq was beginning to actively cooperate with his inspectors.

He told a news conference on Wednesday that the destruction of the al Samouds "is the most spectacular and the most important and tangible" evidence of real disarmament.