IAEA Submits Six-Monthly Progress Report on its Verification Activities in Iraq

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, has forwarded the IAEA's latest progress report on its verification activities in Iraq to the UN Security Council. The Council is expected to consider the report on October 13.

The IAEA's report reaffirms its belief that it has a coherent picture of Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme, based on all credible information available to date. The report further states that the IAEA has found no indication of Iraq having achieved its programme goal of producing nuclear weapons, or of Iraq having retained a physical capability for the production of weapon-useable nuclear material or having clandestinely obtained such material.

At the same time, the IAEA points out the limitations inherent in a countrywide verification process and consequently its inability to guarantee that all readily concealable items have been found. This situation is not helped by Iraq's lack of full transparency with respect to the provision of certain information regarding the extent of external assistance to Iraq's clandestine programme; the timing and modalities of the abandonment of that programme; and certain documentation on weaponisation achievements.

Nevertheless, full implementation of the on-going monitoring and verification (OMV) plan in Iraq, based on full and free access, would enable the IAEA to provide assurance against revival of Iraq's clandestine programme and to investigate further these and any other aspects of that programme that may come to light. Iraq's August 5 suspension of co-operation has prevented the IAEA from exercising full and free access. IAEA inspectors can no longer visit new sites, as distinct from known "declared" sites, and as a result the level of assurance the IAEA can give that prohibited activities are not taking place in Iraq is significantly reduced.

It is the Security Council's prerogative to decide whether Iraq has complied with its obligations under paragraph 12 of Resolution 687 (1991). However, should it do so, the decision would not change either the comprehensive or the intrusive nature of the IAEA's verification activities in Iraq.