Continued Weapons Inspections in Iraq - 2002-12-10

United Nations inspectors visited one of the sites mentioned in Iraq's weapons declaration to the UN Security Council for the first time. This site, which is part of a factory producing missile spare parts, is located south of Baghdad. Other sites inspected today included the TUWAITHA nuclear complex, which has been visited for the fourth time. Hans Blix, head of the UN inspectors, stated that experts will present their preliminary inspection results to the UN next week. Inspectors also visited the Al-Qamra facility in Taji, which is said to have been used by Iraq to produce materials necessary for building a nuclear bomb. Weapons experts visited a uranium mine located in western Iraq near the Syrian border for the second time. 28 new inspectors arrived in Baghdad today, bringing the total number of inspectors to 70. In another development, Iraq criticized the United States for the manner in which it distributed and handled the 12,000-page report from the Iraqi government detailing its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs. US officials received Iraq's main weapons declaration on Monday and subsequently distributed it to the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council. Other Security Council members will receive the report after sensitive information regarding Iraq's weapons has been removed. Norway and Syria have criticized the distribution method, with Syria stating it contradicts the unity of the Security Council. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, stated that the handling of this report is not convincing. However, he rejected allegations of pressure from Washington on the UN. The United States claims it received Iraq's weapons declaration with the approval of the UN Security Council and will distribute it.