U.N. agency says Iraq has no nuclear program

April 13, 1998
Web posted at: 6:49 p.m. EDT (2249 GMT)

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday that Iraq has disclosed and destroyed its nuclear program, but that the U.N. agency will continue to make inspections.

"The IAEA's ongoing monitoring and verification activities carried out since October 1997 have not revealed indications of the existence in Iraq of prohibited equipment, material or of the conduct of prohibited activities," the report said.

In its latest six-month report, the Vienna, Austria-based IAEA said Iraq had made a full disclosure of its nuclear program. The agency said Iraq had produced a document summarizing its secret nuclear program.

"The summary is regarded by the IAEA to be consistent with the technically coherent picture of Iraq's clandestine nuclear program," the report said.

The agency said it would continue to monitor and test air samples, particularly focusing on isotopes used for medical purposes. The IAEA is the United Nation's nuclear watchdog.

Iraq launched a crash atomic program to test its first nuclear bomb using highly enriched uranium after it invaded Kuwait in 1990. The target date was April 1991, which was after the Gulf War in January 1991 and after U.S. planes had destroyed many facilities.

During the IAEA's inspections of 93 locations -- most of them unannounced -- and in their joint inspections with the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM), it found that there was "no indication of prohibited materials, equipment or activities."

The report also said the recently completed inspections of Iraq's eight presidential sites found no prohibited materials or equipment.

In addition to its ongoing monitoring and verification inspections, IAEA will continue to look into any offers of international assistance to Iraq's clandestine nuclear program.

The report will probably result in another attempt by Russia to get U.N. Security Council members to close Iraq's nuclear file. Russia and China first tried to close the file in January.

The United States opposed that attempt, saying all demands over Iraq's weapons programs must be met before the U.N. economic sanctions imposed on Iraq after the Gulf War can be lifted.

On Wednesday, the U.N. report on presidential site inspections should be released, and UNSCOM chief Richard Butler is expected to release his six-month report assessing Iraq's capabilities in the missile, biological and chemical weapons areas.

Despite recent optimism and declarations of a "new spirit of cooperation" between Iraq and the United Nations, that report is not expected to be as upbeat at the IAEA report.

The IAEA has been in charge of neutralizing Iraq's nuclear weapons program, while UNSCOM is focusing on biological, chemical and ballistic weapons.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Interactive Features ---------- Primer: Bioweapons Who's who Inside UNSCOM Gulf War recap Military databanks Interactive Maps ---------- UNSCOM search sites Iraq's arsenal Key Iraq locations Allied forces

CNN/Time Impact:

• Inside UNSCOM: The Inspectors' Story

Related stories:

• U.N.'s Butler returns to Baghdad - March 22, 1998
• Baghdad calls for better relations with U.S. - March 15, 1998
• U.N. envoy in Iraq says Baghdad will cooperate - March 14, 1998

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