Hans Blix Dismisses US Claim [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]

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To:             	ANTINATO@xxxxxxxxxx
From:           	Rick Rozoff <R_ROZOFF@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject:        	Hans Blix Dismisses US Claim [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
Date sent:      	Tue, 4 Feb 2003 23:30:10 -0800 (PST)
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,889133,00.html

US claim dismissed by Blix
Dan Plesch in New York
Wednesday February 5, 2003
The Guardian


-Dr Blix said he had already inspected two alleged
mobile labs and found nothing: "Two food-testing
trucks have been inspected and nothing has been
found."
-He said the choice for the UN was between continued
containment and invasion. Both strategies had
problems, but an invasion required 250,000 troops and
over $100bn while for containment the numbers were 250
inspectors and $80m.



The chief UN weapons inspector yesterday dismissed
what has been billed as a central claim of the speech
the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, will make
today to the UN security council.

Hans Blix said there was no evidence of mobile
biological weapons laboratories or of Iraq trying to
foil inspectors by moving equipment before his teams
arrived.

In a series of leaks or previews, the state department
has said Mr Powell will allege that Iraq moved mobile
biological weapons laboratories ahead of an
inspection. Dr Blix said he had already inspected two
alleged mobile labs and found nothing: "Two
food-testing trucks have been inspected and nothing
has been found."

Dr Blix said that the problem of bio-weapons
laboratories on trucks had been around for a while and
that he had received tips from the US that led him to
inspect trucks in Iraq. The Iraqis claimed that the
trucks were used to inspect the quality of food
production.

He also contested the theory that the Iraqis knew in
advance what sites were to be inspected. He added that
they expected to be bugged "by several nations" and
took great care not to say anything Iraqis could
overhear.

He said he assumed the US secretary of state would not
be indicating sites that the inspectors should visit
that he had not told them about. "It is more likely to
be based upon satellite imagery and upon intercepts of
telephone conversations or knowledge about Iraqi
procurement of technical material or chemicals," he
said.

Dr Blix is travelling to Baghdad for further meetings
with Iraqi officials before reporting to the security
council on February 14 and March 1.

He said the choice for the UN was between continued
containment and invasion. Both strategies had
problems, but an invasion required 250,000 troops and
over $100bn while for containment the numbers were 250
inspectors and $80m.



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