Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | A | Arena Magazine

Burden of proof: unheeded, the Blix report to the security council shows progress on Iraqi disarmament.

Article Excerpt
Based upon nightly news reports alone, and the spin placed upon Han Blix's various reports by both those in favour of and against war in Iraq, it is understandable that few feel any the wiser in determining whether or not any real progress has been made towards disarmament in Iraq. According to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Australia is the `closest it has ever been' to war with Iraq. Clearly unimpressed by Iraq's decision to comply in the destruction of its short-range al-Samoud missiles, the Australian Prime Minister has insisted that `the one thing that will stop force being used will be if Iraq becomes fair dinkum in cooperating'.

But how `fair dinkum' has Iraq been? Perhaps the best way of approaching this issue is to cut through the spin of politicians and government spokespeople, taking it `straight from the horse's mouth', as the old saying goes. Perhaps, then, it is constructive to consider the actual text of the 28 February report by Chief UNMOVIC Weapons Inspector Hans Blix to the United Nations Security Council--a report which covers the period from 1 December 2002 to 28 February 2003.

To begin with, Hans Blix is critical of Iraq's weapons declaration, suggesting that `little new significant information' has been provided in relation to proscribed weapons programs. Seemingly in contradiction, however, the report notes that `new material was provided concerning non-weapons-related activities during the period from the end of 1998 to the present, especially in the biological field...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!