Iraq inspections: Deepening crisis

The Iraqi crisis over the arms inspection is deepening day by day. The arms inspection in Iraq started in 1991 with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion, the UN Security Council imposed economic sanctions against Iraq to force it to pull out its forces out from Kuwait.

But Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait and the coalition of international forces ended the Iraqi occupation during the second Gulf War. The UN Security Council then passed Resolution 687, which set the terms of the cease-fire.

Accordingly, Iraq was required to unconditionally accept the dismantling of its weapons of mass destruction, submit full details of the location of these weapons to the inspectors and undertake not to use, develop, construct or acquire such weapons in the future. In addition, the sanctions will not be lifted until the UN is satisfied that all such weapons have been destroyed and that none are being made.

The resolution also ordered the formation of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) which, together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has to monitor the dismantling of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The IAEA was also required to develop and implement an Ongoing Monitoring and Verification (OMV) Plan.

1,500 OMV inspections

In April, 1991, Iraq accepted Resolution 687. Subsequently, the IAEA established the IAEA Iraq Action Team to implement those tasks in collaboration with the UNSCOM. From then until 1998, 29 inspections were carried out. Moreover, after its permanent presence in August, 1994, the action team made 1,500 OMV inspections without prior announcement.

As Resolution 687 stipulated that Iraq should declare within 15 days the location, amounts and types of mass destruction weapons, Baghdad submitted its report, detailing its possession of chemical weapons and material and 53 Al Hussein and Scud ballistic missiles. It also accepted the immunity of UNSCOM and its personnel, allowing them unrestricted freedom of entry and exit.

However, during that month, when the UNSCOM / IAEA tried to intercept Iraqi vehicles loaded with nuclear-related equipment, Iraqis fired warning shots to prevent the inspectors from getting close to the vehicles. But the equipment was seized and destroyed later.

In September, 1991, the IAEA found documentation regarding Iraq's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, but Iraqi officials confiscated some of these documents. As the inspectors refused to give them another set of documents, Iraq prevented the team from leaving the site with these documents. The team remained there for four days after which the Security Council threatened Baghdad with enforcement actions. Only then did Baghdad allow the team to leave the site.

In October, 1991, the Security Council passed Resolution 715 approving the UNSCOM and IAEA plans for ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV). But Iraq announced that the OMV plans were unlawful and that it would not comply with this resolution.

In 1992, Iraq submitted its first full, final and complete disclosure (FFCD) stipulated in Resolution 687 and declared the existence of previously undeclared ballistic missile and chemical weapons. However, it contravened Resolution 687 as it announced that it had destroyed most of these weapons unilaterally.

Conflicts with UNSCOM

Moreover, during the same year, Baghdad had two conflicts with UNSCOM. The first was when it requested that the commission stop the aerial surveillance flights. But the Security Council confirmed UNSCOM's right to make such flights. Iraq then stated that it wouldn't carry out any military actions against those flights.

The second conflict grew from Iraq's refusal to let the inspection team enter the Ministry of Agriculture, which the inspectors said it contained documents about banned activities. The team was able to access the site only after the Security Council threatened Iraq with enforcement action. Finally, that same year, UNSCOM destroyed large quantities of chemical weapons and their production facilities.

Another crisis between Iraq and the UNSCOM occurred in 1993 when Baghdad refused to allow the inspectors to install monitoring cameras at ballistic weapons sites, only backing down after threats from the Security Council.

Also, in 1993, Iraq made incursions into the demilitarised zone between Iraq and Kuwait and increased its military activity in the no-fly zones. The Security Council warned Baghdad about this violation, and France, the UK and the U.S. raided southern Iraq. Later, Baghdad unconditionally accepted Resolution 715 that stipulated long-term supervision of disarmament.

In 1994, Iraq deployed troops in the direction of Kuwait and warned that it would stop cooperation with UNSCOM, setting a October 10, 1994, deadline for the lifting of the economic sanctions contained in Resolution 661.

In response, the U.S. deployed its troops in Kuwait and the Security Council issued Resolution 949 demanding Iraq withdraw its troops and cooperate fully with UNSCOM. Iraq implemented all those demands.

In 1995 and 1996, Iraq provided all the required FFCDs, blocked arms inspections at certain sites and allowed the inspectors into those sites only after the UN passed resolutions or gave statements to this effect.

Destroyed main facility

In 1996, UNSCOM destroyed Iraq's main facility, Al Hakam, for producing biological weapons. Baghdad also allowed UNSCOM to remove remnants of missile engines for in-depth analysis abroad after its initial opposition to this move and after another statement from the Security Council to this effect.

The following year, Iraq prevented the inspectors from accessing what it called presidential sites as it said they were not part of UNSCOM's mission. The Security Council issued Resolution 1134 asking Iraq to fully cooperate with the mission. The UNSCOM continued with the destruction of weapons until later during that year when Baghdad accused American personnel in UNSCOM of spying and asked them to leave the country. The team returned after an agreement facilitated by Russia.

But in 1998 Iraq announced that it would not cooperate with the team because it had too many U.S. or UK nationals whom it could not trust, and it prohibited the inspectors from entering eight presidential sites.

Following the inspectors' technical report, which found the information given by Baghdad insufficient, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan mediated between the conflicting parties and a memorandum of understanding was agreed to by Iraq and the UN.

This memorandum stated that Iraq should comply with all the resolutions and allow the inspectors to enter the presidential sites. It also stated that the commission should respect the legitimate concerns of Iraq with respect to national security, sovereignty and dignity.

Consequently, Baghdad allowed the inspectors to access the presidential sites. But as chief inspector, Richard Butler, could not fulfil Iraq's demand regarding reporting to the Security Council its fulfilment of Resolution 687, Baghdad announced that it would not cooperate with the commission until the oil embargo and sanctions were lifted.

Thus, the UN passed Resolution 1194, condemning Iraq's decision to