BAGHDAD, 6 June 2003 — Baghdad’s US-run radio station urged Iraqis yesterday to come forward with information on weapons of mass destruction, whose existence remains in doubt eight weeks after Saddam Hussein’s fall. “Everybody who has taken part in developing, storing, moving and acquiring weapons of mass destruction should provide coalition forces with information.” the appeal said.
The need to destroy such weapons was the main reason the United States and Britain gave to justify their invasion of Iraq. But no such arsenal has so far been found, creating a political storm over whether the two powers misled their own people and the world. “Nobody will face any danger for revealing the secrets of these weapons. On the contrary, anyone who does so will live in safety,” said the radio message, broadcast several times.
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix was due to make what was expected to be his last appearance at the Security Council later today. He wants the council to exploit a decade of UN arms research in Iraq and let UN experts finish the job.
In a written report on Monday, Blix, who is retiring at the end of June, said his inspectors had found no evidence of banned weapons in Iraq, where they worked from Nov. 28 until just before the US-led invasion. At the same time, Blix reported that Iraq had not presented convincing data to account for all its past weapons programs, especially biological agents and long-range missiles.
A small team from the International Atomic Energy Agency is due in Iraq today to check on looting of atomic materials.
