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Cautious reaction to inspectors' find
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- There was cautious reaction around the world to the discovery of 11 empty chemical warheads and another one that is still being evaluated in "excellent condition" by U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq. (Full Story) President Bush has been notified of the reports that U.N. weapons inspectors found empty warheads in Iraq, but his administration is waiting for more details before responding. "The administration looks forward to receiving more information from the inspectors," a senior administration official told CNN. "We're keeping our powder dry while we assess it," another senior administration official said. "But it does raise a number of questions." Another administration source said that the report from the inspectors was not considered "a smoking gun" but maintained that aggressive inspections and access to Iraqi scientists will lead to additional evidence of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. The official also said the White House was emboldened by what it sees as mounting evidence against Saddam. Speaking in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Thursday, Bush indicated his patience was wearing thin over what he sees as Iraq's failure to comply with the United Nations. "So far, the evidence hasn't been very good that he is disarming. And time is running out. At some point in time, the United States' patience will run out. In the name of peace, if he does not disarm, I will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm Saddam Hussein," Bush said. Meanwhile, the White House stressed the importance of January 27, the due date for a U.N. inspection report, as a benchmark for deciding whether to take action against Saddam. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, while saying "events will dictate the timetable," said January 27 is an "important date." Previously, the administration has avoided giving timetables. Asked Monday, Bush said, "Time is running out on Saddam Hussein. He must disarm. I'm sick and tired of games and deception. And that's my view of timetables." In Baghdad, Hossam Amin, head of Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate, dismissed any allegation that the find is significant, calling the material "forgotten." "It is neither chemical, neither biological," Amin said. "It is empty warheads. It is small artillery rockets. It is expired rockets. They were forgotten without any intention to use them, because they were expired since 10 years ago." He added that "this type of rockets were declared in 1996 and again in the new declaration." Diplomats at the United Nations also took a cautious stance on the finding. British Ambassador to the U.N. Jeremy Greenstock said he wants to "hear the inspectors' report on that before I make any judgment." U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte said, "It sounds like it's an interesting development. We'll have to wait and see what further develops on this question. ... I'm sure the inspectors are giving this their most rapid attention possible. I'm sure we'll be learning more as the day and the week progresses." In Britain, Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien told Channel 4 News: "We have just heard the news and we are going to have to evaluate the information, so I think it is too early to judge just yet. "But we have always said that Saddam has been concealing things. We will have to see whether this falls into that particular category. But it is time for Saddam to stop concealing and start complying with Resolution 1441." O'Brien declined to say whether intelligence from Britain or the United States might have led to the find. He said: "I think I would prefer to not comment on intelligence information, that is the tradition of British ministers. But also I think we need to look at the detail of this finding before we venture any further significant comment." Bernard Jenkin, Opposition defense secretary, said he believed the warheads would not have been detailed in the Iraqi declaration. Jenkin said: "If these reports are true, this find justifies the weapons inspections. These warheads, which are in good condition, were not in Saddam's declaration. This constitutes the first part of a material breach of paragraph 4 of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441. "The onus is now on Saddam Hussein to come clean, explain why he has not disclosed these weapons, and cooperate fully with the inspectors. A failure to do this will lead to serious consequences. "The prime minister should make clear his position on this matter after his discussions with Hans Blix tomorrow." Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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