UN inspectors visit Baghdad-area universities in arms probe

United Nations inspectors visited universities in Baghdad today as part of their ongoing hunt for evidence of illegal weapons in Iraq.

A chemical team from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) visited Technology University to rebaseline the whole site, according to a UN spokesman in Baghdad. It also inspected the Department of Chemical Technology.

Meanwhile, an UNMOVIC biological team inspected the Baghdad University College of Science for Women, which educates women to become high school teachers. Another team inspected the Department of Biology at the Baghdad University College of Science, which teaches courses in microbiology, zoology, botany and environmental science, said Hiro Ueki.

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also visited Technology University in Baghdad to verify that scientific and technical activities had been performed.

In other inspections, an UNMOVIC missile team went to the Al Ameer Factory, also known as the Saddam State Establishment. The factory was involved in the assembly of Scud missile components before 1991 but has since been responsible for making artillery equipment. Another missile team - which had fixed inventory tags to the Al Fatah missiles at an army unit north of Basra yesterday - returned to Baghdad today.

An UNMOVIC multidisciplinary team inspected an airstrip and an adjacent storage area and visited a bombing range both in the Al Muhammadiah area. Debris at the bombing range was investigated, Mr. Ueki reported.

In addition to Technical University, the IAEA also visited the Tuwaitha site to confirm certain components of the Iraqi arms declaration, and the Ibn Roshd Company, which is the quality control centre for the Military Industrialization Corporation (MIC).

Yesterday, an UNMOVIC chemical team also inspected the National Chemical Plastic Industry in Baghdad, a plastics manufacturer.