A statement by Spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
on (UNMOVIC),(IAEA) activities

IRAQI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

March 1, 2003

1. IAEA Inspection Team:

A. Group I: Led by the American  inspector, Robert Kaily , the group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:40a.m,  and arrived at Al-Mamoon Factory, belongs to Al-Rasheed State Company,  one of the MIC companies. The group checked one site of the Factory. It inquired about the Factory's activities,  the important projects  and    production. The visit lasted for two hours, then the group went back to the Hotel.

B. Group II: led by the Canadian inspector George Hailey ,the group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:40a.m. The group arrived at Al-Qaqae State Company of MIC. It inspected the Company’s stores and  get acquainted with the oil’s pumps. After that the group made a tour in Saad Factory to get acquainted with the available equipment there, and then went to the firing field in Al-Noman Factory. The visit  lasted for five  hours , and then the group returned to the Hotel.

C. Group 1II: Led by the Canadian inspector Victor  ,the group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:40a.m. The group made a radiological survey to the area of Al-Rashdia Camp of Ministry of  Defense by using special survey devices carried by a vehicle. Radiological survey included all the main and sub roads of the Camp and  lasted for four hours, then the group returned to the Hotel

D. Group 1V: Led by the Mauritanian inspector Thomas ,the group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 9:00a.m. and arrived at Al-Salaam State Company, of MIC. They held a meeting with the Director  and inquired about the activities,  the most important products, what have they imported  since January 2002 till now and who are the beneficiary. Then the group made a tour included all the Company’s utilities. The visit lasted for three  hours , and then the group returned to the Hotel

2. UNMOVIC Inspection Team (Chemical):

A. Group I: The group left Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:40 am, headed by the Argentinean inspector Carlos. It arrived at the stores of insecticides factory which belongs to Tariq  State Company. The group checked the special  declarations of this store and made conformities with the actual available assets .  The inspection went on for three hours and ten minutes, and then the group went back to the Hotel.

B. Group II: The group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 9:00a.m, it arrived at the site of the cancelled enterprise of Al- Muthna. The group took samples of the mustard material, and destroyed it. It also set fire to the hulls of 155mm. shells after being freed of   their contents. The inspection went on for three hours and fifteen minutes, and then the group went back to the Hotel.

3. UNMOVIC Inspection Team (Biological):

A. Group I: The group set out from Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:30a.m, headed by the British inspector (Roger). It  arrived at the shells’ destruction site in Al-Azizia, which belongs to MD. The group took samples of the shells out of the hole, took photos and counted the new discovered ones. The visit lasted for five hours, and then the group returned to the Hotel.   

B. Group II: The group departed Al-Qanat Hotel at 8:00 a.m., headed by Mr. Kay Marsh, it reached the emergency regiment of Salah Al-Deen/ Ministry of Interior. It inquired about the duty of the regiment, and made a tour . After that, it went to the Central Workshop/ Municipality of Tikreet, asked about the work  and toured the facilities of the workshop. Later, it headed for the State Company for Trading Construction Materials in Salah Al-Deen/ Ministry of Trade, making a tour in all of the workshops of the Company. The tour took about five hours, after which the group returned to the Hotel.

4. UNMOVIC Joint Inspection Team:

The team departed Al-Qanat Hotel at 9:20 a.m., headed by Mr. Mubasher (Bangladesh), it reached the Company of Technical Consultations. There, it held a meeting with the Company’s Director and inquired about the financial activities of the Company, the party to which it belongs, the main materials which it imports, after which it inspected all the facilities of the Company.The team then headed for the Commission of Press, and checked the computers and the Internet Section. The inspection lasted for five hours, after which the team returned to the Hotel.

5. UNMOVIC Inspection Team (Missiles):

A.      At 10:00 a.m., a meting was held between some members of UNMOVIC headed by Mr. Demetry Pricues (Greek), and the Iraqi side at the National Monitoring Department (NMD). They discussed the technical details required to execute missile destruction operation for Al-Soumoud /2 missiles and also to specify the location and the manner of destruction. Thus, today was appointed for the destruction operation to take place at Al-Taji area for four of Al-Simoud /2 missiles after securing them with safety standards. They also agreed that another UNMOVIC inspection team to supervise today the process of moving and preparing the founding template of solid fuel at Al-Rasheed State Company for the destruction operation of tomorrow. A schedule and a work plan were put for the coming days.

B.      At 8:00 a.m., a team of UNMOVIC departed Al-Qanat Hotel, headed by Mr. Gerhard (German) for the College of Air Force at Tikreet. It made a complete tour of the College’s units, holding a meting with its specialists, inquiring whether there was any connection with the program of the drone plane. The visit lasted for seven hours, after which the team returned to the Hotel.

6. The Mirage (Plane):

At 9:40 a.m., the UNMOVIC mirage entered Iraq's spaces , and left  at 11:10 a.m. It re-entered at 11:30 a.m., and left at 12:55 p.m. The plane conducted a reconnaissance operation that covered many areas of the country, and lasted for three hours.

7. The Interviews:

The UNMOVIC requested to conduct an interview with four Iraqi specialists individually at one of Baghdad’s hotels. The National Monitoring Department (NMD) informed three of them of  the appointment, and encouraged them to conduct the interview. The fourth specialist could not be informed because he lives abroad. The UNMOVIC interviewed two of them, and rejected to interview the third one because he insisted on documenting the interview by a recorder.