Fleischer Wonders Why Blix Didn't Mention Either
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:29 pm
U.S. Wants Answers On Iraqi Drones, Bombs
Fleischer Wonders Why Blix Didn't Mention Either In Security Council Report
POSTED: 6:49 a.m. EST March 10, 2003
UPDATED: 6:58 p.m. EST March 10, 2003
WASHINGTON -- Struggling for U.N. support to forcibly disarm Saddam Hussein, U.S. officials said Monday that the discovery that Iraq had developed an unmanned aerial vehicle and other banned weapons shows Iraq has not changed its ways.
The recent discovery by U.N. weapons inspectors that Iraq had developed drone aircraft capable of dispensing chemical weapons "should be of concern to everybody," Powell said after a meeting with Foreign Minister Francois Fall of Guinea.
"This ... shows Iraq has not changed," Powell said.
Iraq also has developed a version of a South African cluster bomb that could disperse chemical weapons over a target, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. Iraq has claimed that it destroyed all chemical warheads. Neither the cluster bomb nor the aerial drone was declared by Iraq last December.
U.S. Ambasador to the United Nations John Negroponte said Iraq's failure to disclose the drone capable of dispensing chemical weapons is already a violation of Security Council Resolution 1441, which was passed in November.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said U.S. officials would like to know why chief weapons inspector Hans Blix didn't mention either when he briefed the Security Council on Friday, accusing Blix of "burying" the information. Blix issued a glowing report of "significant" progress made by Iraq with the inspections program.
The Bush administration may use the news of the Iraqi weapons in its bid to sway a divided Security Council to adopt a U.S.-British war resolution that includes a March 17 deadline for Saddam Hussein to disarm. (Full Story on resolution diplomacy.)
Boucher said council members should take note of the report from weapons inspectors about two new Iraqi weapons systems.
Copyright 2003 by WFTV.com.
Fleischer Wonders Why Blix Didn't Mention Either In Security Council Report
POSTED: 6:49 a.m. EST March 10, 2003
UPDATED: 6:58 p.m. EST March 10, 2003
WASHINGTON -- Struggling for U.N. support to forcibly disarm Saddam Hussein, U.S. officials said Monday that the discovery that Iraq had developed an unmanned aerial vehicle and other banned weapons shows Iraq has not changed its ways.
The recent discovery by U.N. weapons inspectors that Iraq had developed drone aircraft capable of dispensing chemical weapons "should be of concern to everybody," Powell said after a meeting with Foreign Minister Francois Fall of Guinea.
"This ... shows Iraq has not changed," Powell said.
Iraq also has developed a version of a South African cluster bomb that could disperse chemical weapons over a target, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. Iraq has claimed that it destroyed all chemical warheads. Neither the cluster bomb nor the aerial drone was declared by Iraq last December.
U.S. Ambasador to the United Nations John Negroponte said Iraq's failure to disclose the drone capable of dispensing chemical weapons is already a violation of Security Council Resolution 1441, which was passed in November.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said U.S. officials would like to know why chief weapons inspector Hans Blix didn't mention either when he briefed the Security Council on Friday, accusing Blix of "burying" the information. Blix issued a glowing report of "significant" progress made by Iraq with the inspections program.
The Bush administration may use the news of the Iraqi weapons in its bid to sway a divided Security Council to adopt a U.S.-British war resolution that includes a March 17 deadline for Saddam Hussein to disarm. (Full Story on resolution diplomacy.)
Boucher said council members should take note of the report from weapons inspectors about two new Iraqi weapons systems.
Copyright 2003 by WFTV.com.