UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION COMPLETES DESTRUCTION OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE FACILITY IN IRAQ
Press Release
IK/199
UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION COMPLETES DESTRUCTION OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE FACILITY IN IRAQ
19960620 The following has been received from the Special Commission set up under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) in connection with the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction:On Thursday, 20 June, the United Nations Special Commission announced the successful completion of the destruction of Iraq's former biological warfare production facility known as Al Hakam. Under the mandate of Security Council resolution 687 (1991), the Commission has to supervise the destruction, removal or rendering harmless of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, related components, and research, development and production facilities.
An international team led by Terry Taylor, of the United Kingdom, and Owen Hammond, of Australia, took over one month to oversee the careful and rigorous destruction of Al Hakam and associated equipment. The site was composed of a score of large buildings spread out in the desert over an area of roughly three-by-six kilometres, 60 kilometres south-west of Baghdad.
This isolated facility had been under constant investigation and monitoring since the Commission acquired sufficient evidence of its relation to the biological warfare programme. Iraq had originally stated that Al Hakam was designed and used only for peaceful purposes. However, under the pressure of the evidence gathered by the Special Commission, Iraq finally admitted in July 1995 that Al Hakam was constructed for research, development, production, storage and testing of biological warfare agents. The Commission had carefully documented the involvement of the facility and related production equipment over several years in order to make a complete and appropriate evaluation of what buildings and equipment were to be destroyed.
Each building at the site was demolished using high explosive charges. Several hundred pieces of equipment procured for or used by Iraq in its biological warfare programme were extensively damaged and embedded in concrete to prevent future repair and use. Some furniture, air conditioners, chillers and other dual-use equipment were spared destruction and handed over to Iraqi authorities. Key dual-use items will be tagged and their end-use monitored by Commission experts based in Baghdad.
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All buildings at the site have been levelled and all of its infrastructure, including water, sewage and electrical systems, have been effectively removed. The road system has been left intact to allow continued monitoring by Commission experts of this remote site in the future, thus, discouraging any rebuilding efforts.
The destruction was accomplished by Iraqi workers under the supervision of a Special Commission team composed of 20 personnel from seven countries. It included demolition experts, engineers, safety personnel, scientists and medical personnel. The team worked closely with the Iraqi personnel to assure that the destruction of Al Hakam and its equipment was completed in an effective and timely fashion. Despite the use of several tonnes of high explosives, no injuries occurred and minimal damage was posed to the surrounding desert environment during the destruction process. Both sides should be complimented on their willingness to undertake this destruction effort in a spirit of mutual respect.
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