Security Council Open Meeting on Iraq Inspections

Just received from New York, an alternative to the mass media coverage of the UNMOVIC report ... _____________________________

"To conclude: we have- to date- found no evidence that Iraq has revived its nuclear weapons programme since the elimination of the programme in the 1990s. However, our work is steadily progressing and should be allowed to run its natural course. With our verification system now in place, barring exceptional circumstances, and provided there is sustained proactive cooperation by Iraq, we should be able within the next few months to provide credible assurance that Iraq has no nuclear weapons programme. These few months would be a valuable investment in peace because they could help us avoid a war. We trust that we will continue to have your support [Security Council] as we make every effort to verify Iraq's nuclear disarmament through peaceful means, and to demonstrate that the inspection process can and does work, as a central feature to the international nuclear arms control regime." - Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, 27 January 2003

"Inspect Bush's head!" - sign at the peace demonstration at Isaiah Wall across from the United Nations 27 January 2003

Dear PeaceWomen,

Two of the members of the WILPF-UN Office attended the Security Council Open Meeting on Iraq this morning. The meeting was held to allow Hans Blix of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency to present their reports on weapons inspections to their bosses [the 15 Security Council members] on the 60th day since the initiation of inspections, as mandated in SC Resolution 1441. We would like to report our impressions in an initial report that will be followed by a more comprehensive report tomorrow:

The chambers of the Council were packed with people from UN agencies, UN Member State Missions and non-governmental organizations. The section of the gallery reserved for NGOs did not have an empty chair. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General was present, while France chaired the meeting. An Iraqi representative was also asked to sit at the table. Hans Blix took 30 minutes to present his report. Mohamed ElBaradei followed him with a 30 minute report as well. Both cited concerns with "passive participation" on the part of the Iraqi authorities. Blix noted that more active participation would be necessary for the "professional, effective and correct" procedural workings of the weapons inspections.

One of the areas of concern was the lack of disclosure of documentation, paired with the resistance to private UNMOVIC and IAEA-directed interviews with independent and governmental scientists and academicians who might have insights and information on the extent of disarmament, including biological and chemical weaponry, missles and the imports of 'dual-use items'. Major papers will be running the statements in print, so I will not go into the details of the other concerns about recent movements of rockets and the potential distribution of materials to private homes. In light of the concerns, both men stressed that the inspections teams were strengthening every day and urged that the inspections be allowed to work. Blix said that UNMOVIC has a staff of 260 people from 60 countries, and 90 more inspectors will be able to join the the team after their training in Vienna.

After the two men spoke, the meeting was adjourned. The US ambassador and the UK ambassador got up and spoke to each other. The Security Council members left the room to begin an 'informal consultation.' They will recommence this informal consultation on Wednesday.

After the Open Meeting Ambassador John Negroponte of the US, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the UK and Ambassador Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo of South Africa, the chair of the Non-Alignment Movement, spoke to the sea of media. You will probably see Ambassadors Negroponte and Greenstock all over the major mainstream media outlets. You might not see Ambassador Kumalo. We saw in the UN that CNN had switched over to commercials instead of having his voice heard. He said that he garnered hope from the inspections reports in that Blix and ElBaradei want the processes to continue to function without being severed or manipulated. Blix had cited South Africa's voluntary disarmament as a good model of pro-active participation in the process of disarmament. Ambassador Kumalo noted in his statement, though, that it took 2 years for South Africa to prove that it had, in fact, completed disarmament.

Two peace demonstrations were organized for today. The Isaiah Wall demonstration comprised perhaps 100 people at its peak this morning. Two men- one dressed in flag paraphernalia from head to toe- held a "pro-America" demonstration to protest the peace ralliers. After coming out of the Security Council meeting, we updated the peace ralliers to what had happened inside. There is a Not In Our Name-organized rally scheduled to be held at Dag Haamarsjold Plaza across from the UN from 4:00-6:00 pm today.

Peace, Kara

For more information: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=5983&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=5980&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=5985&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect

Kara Piccirilli Women's International League for Peace and Freedom- UN Office PeaceWomen Project http://www.peacewomen.org

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