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Iraq inspectors hit back at criticism
UN weapons inspectors in Iraq have defended themselves after accusations by Baghdad of spying and suggestions by Washington that searches are not "aggressive" enough. Baghdad had launched a scathing attack on the experts currently searching sites in Iraq, accusing them of providing intelligence to the US and Israel to help with preparations for a military offensive. Pressure has also mounted on the inspection team from the White House, which has indicated yet again that it feels the searches are unsatisfactory. "We believe we are doing the job we need to be doing. We have been unannounced and thorough," said Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose inspectors are helping with the search. Ms Fleming rejected allegations of espionage, but added that if any inspector were found to be a spy, he would be immediately dismissed. "We have always said there is no room for any spies on our inspection teams," she told the BBC. Guess it all depends on what your definition of a spy is. By the Iraqi definition, they're all spies. Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-12-05 |
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