Global perspective Human stories

Arms probe in Iraq continues as UN inspectors visit farms, factories and missile plant

Arms probe in Iraq continues as UN inspectors visit farms, factories and missile plant

UN inspectors in Iraq
As the chief United Nations inspectors prepare to visit Iraq this weekend, UN monitors on the ground continued to visit a variety of sites today, including agricultural facilities, a heavy machinery design plant and a missile propellant factory.

Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), are expected to arrive in Baghdad on 19 January from Larnaca, Cyprus. They will hold talks with Iraqi officials on both 19 and 20 January.

Meanwhile, an UNMOVIC multidisciplinary team inspected Government office buildings adjacent to a Presidential compound in Baghdad, although it did not go inside the compound, UN spokesman Hiro Ueki said in Baghdad. Another multidisciplinary team went to the north of Tiklit by helicopter to inspect the Tiklit Munitions Depot.

An UNMOVIC chemical team inspected three sites: the Saad State Company, a design centre for refineries; the Khan Dari Stores, a storage facility; and the Nassr Al Adheem State Company, a heavy equipment manufacturer.

South of Baghdad, an UNMOVIC biological team inspected a privately owned farm, according to the spokesman. Several doors were sealed, as keys to the rooms were not available. After keys were found, the team returned to the site several hours later to inspect these rooms.

Another biological team visited four colleges at Anbar University in Ramadi, including the College of Education for Women, Biology Department; the College of Science; the College of Education and the College of Medicine.

An UNMOVIC missile team inspected the Al Ameen Factory, one of the plants belonging to the Al Rasheed State Company. "The factory was involved in the BADR 200 solid propellant missile project before 1991, and has since been responsible for the fabrication of motor cases and nozzles for Iraq's other solid propellant missiles," Mr. Ueki said.

The team then split into two to verify information provided by Al Ameen staff during technical discussions. One sub-team visited the Al Rasheed SC Headquarters, while the other drove to the Al Zafaraniya Military College of Engineering, near the Al Rasheed Air Base.

The IAEA inspected three sites: the Isakandariya State Enterprise for Mechanical Industries, a general-purpose heavy equipment engineering plant; the Al Mutaz Technical Institute, which specializes in mechanical engineering; and the Hatteen State Company, an ammunitions and armaments organization.

Meanwhile in Vienna, the seventh basic training course for inspectors is slated to start on 20 January. The three-week course has invited 58 persons from 21 countries - including 6 persons from 3 Arab countries - to attend the course.