UNSCOM and weapons inspections
in the Republic of Iraq

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The history in general of the war by capitalist powers upon Iraq (1991-2002)

Iraq Says U.N. Arms Monitors Can Return

By Hassan Hafidh, Reuters, Thursday 20 November 1997. Iraq has agreed with Russia that U.N. arms inspectors, including the Americans, will return to Iraq to resume work, apparently defusing a three-week-old crisis. The standoff began on October 29 when Iraq ordered the expulsion of Americans working in U.N. arms inspection teams in charge of dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction under the 1991 Gulf War ceasefire, accusing them of espionage.

Iraq seeks Egypt's help at U.N.

UPI, 21 November 1997. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz has asked Egypt to help bring about a peaceful solution to the current crisis with the United Nations over arms inspections when the U.N. Security Council meets to decide on a Russian proposal on the issue. Cairo is satisfied to see the crisis winding down with the start of the return of the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspectors, which has a mandate to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

UN inspections won't harm Saddam's bio-warfare ability

By Jay Bushinsky, Jerusalem Post, 7 December 1997. An Israeli view that seeks to discredit the work of UNSCOM. Hussein is charged with building up secret stockpiles of weapons which will enable him to wage germ warfare on a vast scale, while retaining such delivery systems as Scud missiles despite the renewed presence of UN arms inspectors in Iraq.

The ugly American returns to Baghdad

South News, 19 December 1997. US weapons inspectors Colonel Scott Ritter arrived back with an ugly vengeance. Ritter heads a new 15 man inspection team and immediately did a surprise search in disregard of protocol. The team has found nothing. Iraq had accused Ritter of being an American spy wanting to create problems.

IAC Condemns US provaction Against Iraq

International Action Center press release, 12 January 1998. International Action Center condemns U.S.-British dominated weapons inspection team as a provocation meant to serve as justification for a new military strike against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council is totally under the domination of Washington.

Washington Pushes For 'Unconditional' Inspections In Iraq

By Maurice Williams, The Militant, 12 January 1998. Washington has not let up in its campaign of war threats against Iraq, pushing the United Nations Security Council to demand unconditional access, a clear violation of relevant resolutions and a pretext it could to use to justify a new military attack.

US Rejects Iranian and Cuban UN Arms Inspectors

By Thalif Deen, IPS, 4 February 1998. The U.S. struck out the names of Cuban and Iranian nationals from a U.N. arms inspection team. Ironically, the U.S. is exercising the same right it refuses to concede to the Iraqis. How inspectors are chosen. Accusation that some of the U.N. inspectors are working for the U.S. CIA. The 44-member team led by Ritter includes 28 who are classified as arms inspectors, of which, besides Ritter himself, 10 are US nationals, 5 are Britons, 2 are non-Europeans.

Iraqi Envoy Says News Report Proves U.S. Influence

Xinhua, 14 August 1998. A report by the Washington Post proves that the U.S. has too much influence on U.N. arms inspections in Iraq. This is why Iraq has requested in the past that there should be a major change in the whole infrastructure UNSCOM. Iraq has repeatedly accused UNSCOM of being influenced by the U.S. to prolong the disarmament process so that sanctions imposed on Iraq since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait remain in force indefinitely.

Butler should go: says Egypt

South News 21 December 1998. gypt says that the UN chief arms inspector in Iraq, Richard Butler, had lost his credibility and should be replaced. It is in everybody's interest to end Butler's mission. UNSCOM was not up to the responsibilities specified for it by the Security Council and the U.N. charter. An investigation of the failure needed.

U.S. Spied on Iraqi Military Via U.N.

By Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 2 March 1999. US intelligence services infiltrated agents and espionage equipment for three years into United Nations arms control teams in Iraq to eavesdrop on the Iraqi military without the knowledge of the U.N. agency that it used to disguise its work. The US rigged UNSCOM equipment and office space—without permission—to intercept ordinary Iraqi military communications of value to U.S. military planners but generally unrelated to UNSCOM's mandate.

US 'provoked clashes with Iraq'

BBC News, 19 July 2001. The former UN weapons inspector, Scott Ritter, has accused the US of deliberately provoking confrontations with Iraq, which, he says, was almost fully disarmed by 1995. The US undermined the work of UNSCOM and used the issue to push Iraq towards conflict with the West.