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I don't know if Blix is merely playing diplomat or whether he's been hoodwinked by the US, but this comment is inane: >Blix said he is certain President Bush "hoped that >this path to disarmament would be successful" although >many in his administration were skeptical of the >inspections. How he might know what goes on inside Bush's head, or that he himself was more than merely a pawn of the war makers, biding time until "coalition forces" were in place, stretches credulity. Dan On Sat, 29 Mar 2003 00:24:54 -0800 (PST), you wrote: >http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_blaming_blix&cid=716&ncid=716 > >Blix to Step Down After U.S. Snub > >By EDITH M. LEDERER and DAFNA LINZER, Associated Press >Writers > >UNITED NATIONS - His inspectors are becoming valuable >commodities for the United States but Hans Blix isn't. >The chief U.N. inspector, blamed by Washington for >hurting its drive for international support in the >run-up to the war, will be stepping down at the end of >June. > >U.S. officials say his departure could make it easier >for the Bush administration to include some of the >world's top arms experts in their hunt for Iraqi >weapons. > >At least three members of Blix's staff — two experts >in biological weapons and one who specializes in >Iraq's missile programs — have been approached by >special U.S. military units who will oversee Iraq's >disarmament. > >It's a sign of recognition that the inspectors are >well-trained and their expertise is essential. But the >Americans have not made any overtures to their boss. > >"We don't believe he was fair in his reports, not to >us and not on Iraq's cooperation," said one senior >U.S. official. > >In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, >Blix said he resented the administration's portrayal >of his work. > >"At some points, I think they went too far," he said. > >And he is disappointed that after three years of >preparation, his teams only got 3 1/2 months in Iraq. > >"A few more months would have been useful," he said. > >Blix was not Washington's pick for the job of top >inspector in Iraq in 1999. > >But the United States went along with his >recommendation as a compromise candidate whose >credentials as an international lawyer and member of >the international arms control community satisfied >Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council. > > >U.N. inspectors returned to Iraq for the first time in >four years in late November, soon after the Security >Council strengthened inspections and gave Baghdad a >final opportunity to disarm peacefully or face serious >consequences. > >Blix said he is certain President Bush "hoped that >this path to disarmament would be successful" although >many in his administration were skeptical of the >inspections. > >The chief inspector's first report in early December >was a tough assessment of Iraq's cooperation and a >condemnation of a weapons declaration the Iraqis >submitted to inspectors. The United States welcomed >it. > >But in January, Blix reported that Iraq had decided to >cooperate on the "process" of inspections, providing >good access, though it still needed to provide >substantive evidence about its weapons programs. By >February, he reported that Iraq was trying to >cooperate more on substance, but still wasn't >providing much that was new. > >France, Russia and Germany believed that Iraq could be >disarmed peacefully, and argued that these reports >showed the inspections were working and should >continue. > >Sometime in late January or early February, Blix said >the U.S. government "gave up on inspections" and >stepped up military preparations. > >US officials began to criticize inconsistencies in >Blix's reports and quietly questioned his motives. > >"There were complaints saying in January you were very >harsh, and in February you were mild. Well, I looked >out the window here and one day it's raining and the >next day it's sunshine. How can you describe it in the >same terms?" Blix asked. "Certainly not." > >Blix's last major report was devastating for U.S. >efforts to convince the council that Iraq was a >serious threat that needed to be disarmed by force. > >The upbeat account not only dealt with Iraq's >last-ditch efforts to cooperate with inspectors and >destroy missiles they weren't supposed to be >producing, but also cast serious doubt on U.S. >intelligence that claimed otherwise. > >France, Russia and others used the findings to counter >Washington's claims and block U.N. support for the >war. > >The Americans were outraged. > >"We gave him 70 sites to visit and he only went to >seven," said one angry U.S. official, who spoke on >condition of anonymity. > >Blix said he couldn't remember how many sites he was >given, but noted that intelligence from all countries >including the United States resulted in "a relatively >meager" amount of new information. > >The chief inspector was hurt by criticism that he was >in the anti-war camp. > >"I was in nobody's pocket," he said. "Maybe somebody >wished I be in a pocket, but I was not." > >Blix said the United States and Britain, trying to win >support for a U.N. resolution backing a war, went "too >far" in trying to claim there was "evidence that we >allegedly had suppressed." > >"I think it was unfair, and I do resent that to some >extent," he said. > >Blix, a former Swedish foreign minister who led the >International Atomic Energy Agency from 1981-1997, had >said he would like to retire before his 75th birthday >in June. But he had also hinted he could stay, saying >he wouldn't abandon his responsibilities or turn down >a request by the council that now seems unlikely. > >"As things look now, certainly I will be very happy to >go home in June," he said. > >Inspections were suspended last week because of the >war. Annan has said he expects their mission to resume >once the hostilities cease, but there is no guarantee >that will happen. > >There is disagreement in Washington about what role, >if any, inspectors should play in disarming Iraq. > >Members of the U.N. teams are considered the only >weapons experts in the world specifically trained in >disarmament, and they have intimate knowledge of Iraq. >But many are skeptical of U.S. claims that Saddam has >stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. > >U.S. disarmament specialists are in Kuwait preparing >to be equipped with ground-penetrating radar, sensors >and sample-taking apparatus similar to that used by >U.N. inspectors. Working with several former >inspectors, they will probably go to many of the same >locations the inspectors visited. > >Intelligence experts will question Iraqis involved in >weapons programs while experts comb sites and analyze >samples in the field using mobile labs. > >Meanwhile, Blix will prepare his next report to the >council, which is due June 1. His staffers are pouring >over documents and analysis collected from the Iraqis >since November. > >But he said he's looking forward to spending more time >in Sweden with his wife of 41 years and doing research >and writing. > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! >http://platinum.yahoo.com > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. >To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss >To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk >All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk