PRESS RELEASE

On Results of Latest UNMOVIC Inspections in Iraq

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

January 17, 2003

On January 16, in a briefing at UN, it was announced that while inspecting the houses of two Iraqi scientists on the same day an inspection team from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) had found documents dated the early 90s and appertaining to Iraq's past prohibited military programs. The documents were taken away for analysis.

Also then, while inspecting the Ukhaider artillery storage facility (120 kilometers from Baghdad), UN inspectors had discovered twelve chemical weapon warheads, of which eleven were empty and one, according to UNMOVIC workers, requires additional examination.

The Iraqi side, as represented by General Hossam Mohammed Amin, head of Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate, has declared that the warheads found are in an unfilled state... Such warheads are used on 122mm rocket missiles whose range does not exceed 18 kilometers. Such missiles were being imported by Iraq in 1986, and are currently unfit for use.

In the opinion of the Russian side, the results of the Ukhaider inspection require a careful expert analysis before any definite conclusions can be drawn. That's what UN specialists are now doing.

We consider it necessary to stress that Iraq continues in accordance with its obligations under Security Council Resolution 1441 to provide unconditional and prompt access to all the sites of interest to UNMOVUC and IAEA inspectors.

The results of the Ukhaider inspections have again borne out the effectiveness of the mechanism of UN inspection and monitoring activity in Iraq, which should be continued with the aim of a full and complete closure of all the Iraqi disarmament dossiers.