(19 Jan 2003)
1. Blix at hotel reception
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hans Blix, Chief UN Weapons Inspector:
"Iraq has had an obligation to give full and final and complete declaration several times and accordingly the government should have delivered and I think Mr Hussein must ask himself why are they still there and are there more?"
Q. "Can I also ask you again for a repeat of your message that you will be carrying this morning."
A. "Well I think the message after travelling around to capitals, Moscow, together with the French president, myself in Brussels in the European headquarters and in London is the impression that war is not inevitable no, I don't think anyone wants war. The alternative to it is inspections that are effective that are credible and which require active cooperation by Iraq. And this is what we are looking for and, of course, the things that have been happening in the last few days are a bit troubling but this is a message to them that the inspections are not a prelude to war they are an alternative to war."
Q. (Inaudible)
A. "Well, it is in this sense, that they are not weapons of mass destruction, documents are not weapons of mass destruction nor are empty cells weapons but they are a sign, a symptom that not everything has been properly declared and, therefore, worrisome."
3. Blix walks away
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mohamed ElBaradei, Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency:
"We will know in the next few days and again the shells are subject to some analysis to see whether there was any content there or are they completely empty."
Q. (Inaudible)
A. "Well, I think that is not my language, that is the language of the Security Council Resolution 1441; if Iraq does not fully cooperate, if there is any material breach there will be serious consequences and I think we all understand what serious consequences mean. We see the build up in the region and I hope, as I keep on saying, that we avoid a war. I hope that a war is not inevitable, I do not believe it is inevitable but we need to show progress because the international community is getting very much impatient with the process that has been going on for 11 years and I think the message is that we need to bring closure to the Iraqi file with regards to weapons of mass destruction."
Q. (Inaudible)
A. "I mentioned that issue also. It is obviously one that we are going to discuss: why the documents had not been declared to us but also why had they are kept in a private home and as far a we understand and again I do not want to jump to conclusions, but I understand some of them are classified documents, why are official documents kept in a private home and the more fundamental question: are there more documents to be seen? I hope that if there are other documents to be seen then Iraq will take the initiative and bring them forward but as I said this is the way for them to move forward."
Q. (Inaudible)
A. "I do not want to speculate but it very much depends on progress we make in the next few weeks."
5. Blix boards airport bus
STORYLINE:
Top UN officials, flying to Baghdad on Sunday for urgent talks, warned Iraq that it must cooperate fully with weapons inspections to avoid war.
United Nations chief inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei left Cyprus on what ElBaradei described as a "last-ditch effort" to persuade Iraq "to give us what we need" before the two report to the Security Council on January 27 on their assessment of Iraq's claim that it has no banned weapons.
UN officials have said inspectors have found no conclusive evidence Iraq is holding illegal weapons.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
