UN weapons experts have gone to a location in northern Iraq to destroy ten artillery shells filled with mustard gas. These weapons containing mustard gas were discovered and cataloged by inspectors at the Al-Muthanna chemical facility before the expulsion of UN weapons inspectors from Iraq, but the Iraqi government has not destroyed them in violation of UN regulations. Recently, UN inspectors returned to Iraq and visited that chemical facility in the early days of their mission to secure those weapons. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged his parliament to take action against the Baghdad regime if senior UN weapons inspectors report that the Iraqi government has not fully cooperated with them. UN weapons inspectors are scheduled to present a new report on Iraq to the Security Council the day after tomorrow.
Continued Search by UN Weapons Experts in Northern Iraq - 2003-02-12
UN weapons experts are in northern Iraq to destroy mustard gas-filled artillery shells that the Iraqi government has failed to eliminate. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for action against Iraq if inspectors report non-cooperation. This situation is critical as it may influence international responses to Iraq's compliance with disarmament.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
UN weapons experts are in northern Iraq to destroy ten artillery shells filled with mustard gas that the Iraqi government has failed to eliminate. This situation follows a recent inspection that revealed Iraq's non-compliance with disarmament obligations.
- The mustard gas artillery shells were cataloged before the expulsion of UN inspectors from Iraq.
- Tony Blair has indicated that military action may be considered if Iraq does not fully cooperate with UN inspectors.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Following the Gulf War, Iraq was required to disarm its chemical and biological weapons under UN resolutions, but compliance has been contentious and often disputed.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%