"The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity" said Blix

NEW YORK, February 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix told the Security Council on Friday, February 14, that U.N. experts did not find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammad El-Baradei welcomed Iraq’s banning of weapons of mass destruction.

Blix refuted U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's claim, during his presentation before the Security council on February 5, that Iraq had cleaned up suspect sites before inspectors arrived in November.

Powell used satellite photos and communications intercepts to make the case for the Iraqi alleged transfer of weapons to an ammunitions depot.

"The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity" said Blix.

"In no case have we seen convincing evidence that the Iraqi side knew in advance that the inspectors were coming," he said. 

"The period of disarmament through inspection could still be short, if immediate, active and unconditional cooperation ... were to be forthcoming," Blix said.

Presenting his crucial progress report on arms inspections in Iraq, Blix added that Iraq Baghdad had not yet accounted for "many" banned arms.

"The issues of anthrax, the nerve agent VX and long-range missiles [are]... perhaps the most important problem we are facing."

He cited a document suggesting that some 1,000 tons of chemical agent were unaccounted for, adding there was no proof that they had been destroyed.

Blix called on Iraq to squarely tackle this task and avoid belittling the questions, asking, "How much, if any, is left of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and related proscribed items and programs?"

"So far, UNMOVIC has not found any such weapons, only a small number of chemical munitions, which should have been declared and destroyed," he added.

"Another matter -- and one of great significance -- is that many proscribed weapons and items are not accounted for," he said.

"If they exist, they should be presented for destruction. If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented."

Blix made it clear that Al-Sumoud 2 missile system exceeds a 150-kilometer range and therefore violates U.N.-set limits.

Iraq’s Banning of WMS Step in the Right Direction

"We have to date found no evidence of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear related activities in Iraq," said ElBardei

Baradei, head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, praised Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ban on importing, producing and manufacturing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons was a "step in the right direction."

"The resolution of this long-standing legal matter was, in my view, a step in the right direction for Iraq to demonstrate its commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the Security Council's resolutions," averred ElBaradei.

He reported to the U.N. Security Council that IAEA experts had found no evidence that Iraq is pursuing a banned nuclear weapons program.

"We have to date found no evidence of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear related activities in Iraq," said ElBardei.

"However, as I have just indicated, a number of issues are still under investigation and we are not yet in a position to reach a conclusion about them, although we are moving forward with regard to some of them," he asserted.

El-Baradei said nuclear experts do not need Iraqi cooperation as the IAEA's experience in nuclear verification shows that it is possible, particularly with an intrusive verification system, "to assess the presence or absence of a nuclear weapons program in a state even without the full co-operation of the inspected state."

He noted that the issue of high-strength aluminum tubes which Iraq tried to import had not been closed.

Iraq provided new documentation on the tubes, a reported attempt to import uranium, the procurement of magnets and magnet production capabilities and the use of the explosive HMX, said El-Baradei.

"We are still exploring whether the tubes were intended for the manufacture of centrifuges for uranium enrichment," he said.

No Evidence of Iraq-Qaeda Link: France

French Foreign Minister Dominique De Villepin repudiated Washington's claims of a link between the Iraqi regime and al-Qaeda.

"The French intelligence found that there are no such connections," he averred.

The top diplomat stressed there was no need for another resolution on Iraqi disarmament as the French paper can do the job.

The paper recently presented to the Security Council called for beefing up inspectors in Iraq.

The mission of inspectors has not finished yet, and they should be given chances for success, said De Villepin.

"war is always is expression of failure, as there is still an alternative."

Moscow For Giving Inspectors More Time

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov called on the U.N. to continue to back arms inspections in Iraq and give inspectors "all necessary assistance", as diplomacy has not yet been exhausted.

"We have a unique opportunity to solve this most burning world problem politically," he added.

"Their accounts have shown very clearly that in Iraq a unique potential has been established in this area of inspections and monitoring," Ivanov said.

To the U.S. anger, Ivanov urged to give the inspectors in Iraq more time to do what he called smooth inspections process.

He called Iraq's allowing private interviews with its inspectors as a step in the right direction, underling that Iraq's cooperation would maintain its own interests.

Inspections Diminished Iraqi Danger: Germany

U.N. weapons inspections have "substantially diminished the danger emanating from Iraq," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told the Security Council.

"The inspectors must be given the time they need to successfully complete their mission," he said before closing a three-and-a-half-hour public session called to hear a report by Blix and ElBaradei.

Germany holds the rotating council presidency this month, and Fischer chaired the meeting, attended by nine other foreign ministers and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

War "would endanger stability" in the region, and "all possible alternatives need to be exhaustively explored" before using force, Fischer said.

"Diplomacy has not yet reached the end of the road," he added.

Inspections Could Not Continue for Ever: Powell 

Powell claims Iraqi cooperation with U.N. inspectors "superficial

On his part, Powell said it was now time for the U.N. Security Council to begin to consider the serious consequences that Iraq should face for failing to disarm, adding that inspections could not continue for ever.

"We now are in a situation where Iraq's continued non-compliance and failure to cooperate, it seems to me in the clearest terms, requires this council to begin to think through the consequences of walking away from this problem or the reality that we have to face this problem," Powell said.

"In the very near future, we will have to consider whether or not ... it is time to consider serious consequences of the kind intended by 1441," he said, referring to the Security Council resolution that demands Iraqi disarmament.

Powell said that the 1441 resolutions does not deal with inspections, but disarming Iraq.

He accused the Iraqi regime of deceiving and playing tricks while dealing with the U.N., adding that Iraqi cooperation with the inspectors is "superficial" and that threats of using force to Baghdad should continue.

Iraq Humiliated U.N. for 12 Years: Straw

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw alleged that the 12-year Iraq's non-compliance with the U.N. resolutions is nothing but a brazen act of humiliation of the world body.

Britain knows well that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, Straw claimed, adding that Iraq is not cooperating with the inspectors as stipulated in the 1441 resolution.

Iraq is still in "material breach" of U.N. Security Council resolution, claimed Straw.

What is Material Breach?

"Those calling the decree less important are the same parties who kept asking for urgently issuing it" Al-Douri said

Iraq's permanent representative to the U.N. vowed continued cooperation with the weapons inspectors, reaffirming that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.

"Iraq has presented proposals to resolve all pending issues out of a keen interest to keep all possible channels of dialogue open with international weapons inspectors," said Mohammad Al-Douri.

"Iraq accepted to deal with 1441 on the grounds that it would open the door for securing a solution to what they call Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction."

Al-Douri referred to the 12,000-page declaration Iraq presented to the U.N. Security Council in December, asking whether it has been accurately analyzed.

"Was the Iraqi Declaration exhaustively studied, or there is still a need for delve into its details?"

He was skeptical over Powell's allegation that the Iraqi decree banning producing or trading into banned weapons was of no significance.

"Those calling the decree less important are the same parties who kept asking for urgently issuing it" Al-Douri said.

The Iraqi diplomat slammed the American and British accusation that his country is in "material breach".

"What is the ‘material breach’? Is it judged through the American claims or the positive cooperation with inspectors?" Al-Dori wondered.

"We call for keeping effective cooperation with the inspectors, not with those wanting to make the inspections fail".

"Iraq has been doing all in its power to ensure an effective cooperation with the inspectors," he concluded.