Nuclear Inspections in Iraq

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has submitted a report to the UN Secretary General for onward transmission to the Security Council on a visit to Baghdad, from 19 to 21 December, of a team of six technical specialists headed by the leader of the IAEA Iraq Action Team Mr. Garry Dillon.

The purpose of the visit was to seek clarification of a number of matters so as to provide further assurance that the technically coherent picture of Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme is comprehensive and to tailor IAEA ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV) activities appropriately.

The matters discussed with the Iraqi counterpart involved: Iraq's post war procurement procedures; Iraq's production of a document summarising the technical achievements of their clandestine nuclear programme; offers of external assistance to Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme; the motivation behind the actions attributed to the late Lt. General Hussein Kamel in retaining and concealing documentation and material from Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme; and the existence of the so-called "Governmental Committee" whose declared task was inter alia, "to reduce the effect of NPT violation to the minimum".

The results of the discussions are summarised in the report to the Security Council. A number of topics related to the IAEA's OMV activities were discussed, as well as the IAEA's need to use fixed-wing aircraft for technical and logistical purposes. In this latter regard Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Tariq Aziz indicated that Iraq would have no objection to the use of fixed-wing aircraft for technical functions such as aerial radiation survey. The status of Iraq's "full, final and complete declaration" was also discussed and it was agreed that Iraq would reissue the document incorporating the additions and revisions resulting from discussions held in February, May and July 1997.

The IAEA is currently focussing most of its resources on the implementation and strengthening of its OMV plan. Nonetheless, it will continue to exercise its right to investigate any aspect of Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme and will give high priority to the investigation of any indication of direct acquisition of weapon-usable nuclear material or nuclear weapon-related technology.