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ElBaradei: Iraq must do more for him to return
The UN's top nuclear inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, said Friday Iraq would have to show more commitment to arms inspections for him to return before his next report to the world body in mid-February. "We need to make sure there will be progress when we go there," ElBaradei said, adding that UN inspectors must have the right to meet privately with Iraqi scientists and that inspectors must be able to use surveillance aircraft, including American U2 spy planes.Well, so much for that meeting He said Iraq must satisfy the international community both on nuclear inspections and on the chemical, biological and missile inspections overseen by chief UN inspector Hans Blix. "We need to make sure before we go that they are ready to move forward on many of these issues," ElBaradei said. "We are exploring what is the purpose of their invitation. If we go, we would expect concrete results," ElBaradei said. Sounds like he's finally had enough. He said the purpose of the inspectors was "to do everything possible to move the file forward and avoid a war." ElBaradei said he and Blix would be talking to the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations in New York. "It is important that when we do go, we meet at the highest level of leadership and hear from them a clear commitment that they are ready to be fully transparent," he said. "Private interviews are very important to create confidence," ElBaradei said, adding that this should be no problem if Iraq has nothing to hide. The problem is that they do have stuff to hide. He said Iraqi authorities should make clear to scientists that "it is in their own national interest to speak to us directly in private." Iraq announced Thursday it was inviting ElBaradei and Blix to return to Baghdad before February 10 to hold fresh talks on cooperation with the UN mission. ElBaradei said if he were to return to Iraq, he would like to do so before February 10, four days before the International Atomic Energy Agency inspections team's next report to the UN Security Council. Wants to get his notes in order Posted by: Steve 2003-01-31 |
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