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Iraq 'destroying 6 more missiles'
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- With the U.N. Security Council still divided over whether Iraq is fully cooperating with orders to disarm, Iraqi officials said six more Al Samoud 2 missiles were being destroyed Saturday. That number has not yet been confirmed by the U.N. missile team observing the destruction at Al Taji. So far, the U.N. has verified that Iraq has dismantled a total of 34 missiles and two casting chambers. The U.N. estimates Iraq has between 120-130 Al Samoud 2 missiles. During his briefing Friday to the Security Council, chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix called the destruction a "substantial measure of disarmament," the first since the mid-1990s. "We are not watching the breaking of toothpicks," he said. "Lethal weapons are being destroyed." Also Saturday, U.N. weapons inspectors were visiting about 11 sites, including the missile destruction at Al Taji. The Security Council remains deeply divided over whether the ongoing weapons inspections in Iraq are working or if military action against Iraq should be authorized. The members debated an amended resolution on Friday that would give Iraq until March 17 to completely disarm. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte told Security Council delegations to be prepared for a vote possibly as early as Tuesday on the latest proposal. (Full story) During Friday's debate, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov pointed to the destruction of the missiles -- as well as Iraq's presentation of documents about anthrax and VX gas production -- as a sign that Iraq is cooperating. But U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the council that the recent moves by Iraq to dismantle missiles that it did not disclose in its December weapons declaration were "paltry gestures and paper promises" and an attempt to get itself off the "stove of international pressure." U.N. ambassadors will return to New York for another Security Council consultation Monday at 4 p.m. -- CNN Correspondent Rym Brahimi contributed to this report. For latest developments, see CNN.com's Iraq Tracker.
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