U.S. SENATOR DICK LUGAR STATEMENT ON U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTION REPORT

Washington File
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

January 27, 2003

The weapons inspectors' report to the U.N. today indicates that Iraq has been uncooperative.

U.N. Resolution 1441 was the last chance request by the Security Council for Iraq to explain what has happened to its weapons of mass destruction. If the weapons have been destroyed, the Iraqis are expected to give evidence of that. The report indicates that they have not given evidence of the destruction and leaves open the great possibility that Iraq still possesses substantial weapons and continues to pursue weapons and technology.

For the inspectors, this is not hide-and-seek, trying to hunt down all the mobile laboratories that can be moved on a moment's notice. It is up to the Iraqis to produce documentation and evidence of what has or has not happened. This report indicates they have not done that.

By failing to declare any of it, they are in material breach and what to do about it is the big issue now before the U.N. Security Council.

Ultimately we need to know where the chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and materials are. The president is prepared to lead a coalition of the willing -- preferably the entire U.N. Security Council that approved resolution 1441 -- to disarm Saddam, if he does not disarm himself Sadden must understand that this time is different from past inspection regimes, the weapons will be destroyed. The big question is what will happen after the disarmament.

Lugar also announced that he will chair a hearing on January 30 on the Iraq weapons inspector report and a hearing on February 11 on the future of Iraq, post disarmament.