I"A REPORT ON NUCLEAR INSPECTION IN IRAQ SUBMITTED TO SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Release
IAEA/1320
IK/237
IAEA REPORT ON NUCLEAR INSPECTION IN IRAQ SUBMITTED TO SECRETARY-GENERAL
19980115 VIENNA, 15 January (IAEA) -- The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has submitted a report to the United Nations Secretary-General for transmission to the Security Council concerning a visit to Baghdad, from 19 to 21 December, of a team of six technical specialists headed by the leader of the IAEA Iraq Team, Garry Dillon.The purpose of the visit was to seek clarification of a number of matters so as to provide further assurance that the technically coherent picture of Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme is comprehensive and to tailor IAEA ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV) activities appropriately.
The matters discussed with the Iraqi counterpart involved: Iraq's post- war procurement procedures; Iraq's production of a document summarizing the technical achievement of their clandestine nuclear programme; offers of external assistance to Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme; the motivation behind the actions attributed to the late Lieutenant General Hussein Kamel in retaining and concealing documentation and material from Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme; and the existence of the so-called "Governmental Committee", whose declared task included "to reduce the effect of NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] violation to the minimum".
The results of the discussions are summarized in the report to the Security Council. A number of topics related to the IAEA's OMV activities were discussed, as well as IAEA's need to use fixed-wing aircraft for technical and logistical purposes. In that regard, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz indicated that Iraq would have no objection to the use of fixed-wing aircraft for technical functions such as aerial radiation survey. The status of Iraq's "full, final and complete declaration" was also discussed and it was agreed that Iraq would reissue the document incorporating the additions and revisions resulting from discussions held in February, May and July 1997.
The IAEA is currently focusing most of its resources on the implementation and strengthening of its OMV plan. Nonetheless, it will continue to exercise its right to investigate any aspect of Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme and will give high priority to the investigation of any indication of direct acquisition of weapon-usable nuclear material or nuclear weapon-related technology.
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