UN chemists, toxicologists and missile experts visit suspected site in Iraq

As the United Nations continued its probe of suspected weapons production facilities in Iraq, a team of UN chemists, toxicologists and missile experts today inspected all areas of the Samoud Scrap Yard site, which reprocesses steel.

As the United Nations today continued its probe of suspected weapons production facilities in Iraq, a team of UN chemists, toxicologists and missile experts today inspected all areas of the Samoud Scrap Yard site, which reprocesses steel.

In another action, chemical specialists from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) inspected two sites: the Research and Analytical Centre for Pesticides and the Al Furat State Establishment for Chemical Industry. “The main objective of this inspection was to update information about the site and verify data provided in the last semi-annual declaration,” UN spokesman Hiro Ueki explained.

Germ warfare experts from UNMOVIC inspected the Samra Drug Industry – a pharmaceutical company owned by the Ministry of Industries and Minerals. “The site is a large complex with over 50 structures, which produces a wide-range of pharmaceutical products,” Mr. Ueki said. “The UNMOVIC team, which consisted of 23 inspectors, inspected the whole site and confirmed all the tags and inventories and discussed site activities and declarations with the site representatives.”

One UNMOVIC team of missile inspectors inspected the Al Qa Qaa double base propellant plant as part of the ongoing monitoring of Iraqi missile propellant capability. Over 40 buildings were inspected during the four-hour inspection, the spokesman reported.

Another UNMOVIC missile team inspected the Al-Fedaa Hydraulic Plant, which is “actively engaged in the manufacture of missile and rocket launchers as well as the refurbishment of tank tansporters,” he said.

Meanwhile, teams from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the 14 Ramadan Factory, declared to be a wool and textile facility, the Binwalid Factory, which manufactures metal goods and contains a number of high-quality machine tools. Other teams from the Agency visited the Al Raya State Company, a materials science centre engaged in research on metals, ceramics, and plastics for Iraqi industry, and Al Zahef Al Kabeer, which conducts a number of metal and plastic production jobs.