HANS BLIX, CHIEF INSPECTOR LEAVE JOB
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Chief U.N. Inspector Blix to Leave Job
1 hour, 53 minutes ago
By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS - Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said Friday he will leave his job at the end of June, with disappointment that his teams weren't given a few more months to try to disarm Iraq (news - web sites) peacefully.
Blix extended his contract for four months at the end of February, when inspectors were seeking substantive answers from Iraq on disarmament issues and the United States was warning that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s time to cooperate was running out.
Blix said he will submit a quarterly report on June 1 to the Security Council on the work of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and leave at the end of the month, a few days after his 75th birthday.
"I look forward to going back to research, to writing about international law and to not least to be with my family, my wife," the former Swedish foreign minister said in an interview with Associated Press Television News. "Summer is nice at home, and I think after the hectic life here it would be a nice time to come home."
Would he stay on if asked?
"I would have wanted to leave last year. However, the way things looked then we were into dialogue and I didn't think I could do that," Blix said. "But as things look now, certainly I will be very happy to go home in June."
Blix took over the commission, known as UNMOVIC, in March 2000, three months after the Security Council established it to replace the first weapons inspection agency for Iraq, the U.N. Special Commission.
His inspectors returned to Iraq for the first time in four years in late November, soon after the council strengthened inspections and gave Baghdad a final chance to disarm peacefully or face serious consequences.
Blix said he is certain President Bush (news - web sites) "hoped that this path to disarmament would be successful." But he said the U.S. administration "gave up on inspections" in late January or early February and began to prepare for military action.
Blix said he regrets he didn't press the Iraqis earlier to do more to show they were actively cooperating on substantive issues. He said they showed more cooperation in late January and early February.
The United States decided, however, to push for a resolution giving Saddam an ultimatum to disarm or face war. The U.S. and allies Britain and Spain withdrew the resolution on March 17, facing strong resistance from council members France, Russia, Germany and China. The war began two days later.
"I think we were given a bit too short time," Blix said. "A few more months would have been useful."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&ncid=716&e=6&u=/ap/20030329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_iraq_blix -
Blix to Step Down After U.S. Snub
16 minutes ago
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 (news - web sites)'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 (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites) "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.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&ncid=736&e=2&u=/ap/20030329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_blaming_blix -
Good bye Hans Blix
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
bye Hans
_______________
Baby sgboy2004 -
Time to do other things liao...let mi take over your post then
_____________
i am a gentleman -
good reason to give to leave
_______________
Professor sgboy2004 -
Cool
___________
i am a nobody. -
Salute to Hans and team
A job well done, though in portions only
_______________
Military sgboy2004 -
Embattled U.N. Weapons Chief to Step Down
1 hour, 1 minute ago
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 (news - web sites)'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 (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites) "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.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&ncid=736&e=8&u=/ap/20030329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_blaming_blix -
zai jian Hans Blix
_____________
i am a chio lady -
see ah! George Bush make Hans Blix cry... evil Bush...
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BLIX DOUBTS WAR AIMS
"There is evidence that this war was planned well in advance. Sometimes this raises doubts about their attitude to the (weapons) inspections," Blix told the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
"I now believe that finding weapons of mass destruction has been relegated, I would say, to fourth place, which is why the US and Britain are now waging war on Iraq.
"Today the main aim is to change the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein," he said.
But he said he knew at the time "there were people within the Bush administration who were sceptical and who were working on engineering regime change".
Blix said that he thought the US might initially have believed Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction -- although its "fabrication" of evidence raised doubts about even that -- but that Washington was now less convinced by its own claims.
"I think the Americans started the war thinking there were some. I think they now believe less in that possibility. But I don't know -- you ask yourself a lot of questions when you see the things they did to try and demonstrate that the Iraqis had nuclear weapons, like the fake contract with Niger," he explained.
By attacking Iraq, Washington had sent the wrong message -- that if a country did not possess biological, chemical or nuclear weapons, it risked being attacked.
"The US maintains that the war on Iraq is designed to send a signal to other countries to keep away from weapons of mass destruction. But people are getting a different message. Take the announcement North Korea has just made. It's tantamount to saying 'if you let in the inspectors, like Iraq did, you get attacked'.
North Korea accused the United States on Sunday of using a UN Security Council discussion of its nuclear programme as a "prelude to war" and warned that it would fully mobilise and strengthen its forces.
"It's an important problem," Blix continued. "If a country perceives that its security is guaranteed, it won't need to consider weapons of mass destruction. This security guarantee is the first line of defence against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." -
Blix was a diplomat... how the heck he became a "weapons inspector" is amazing... and actually gives credence to the US saying that the UN is a bunch of mismanaging morons who can't find their asses from their elbows....
and Blix did this all to himself with the usual bureaucratic BS in this reports which both sides can use to further their cause.Originally posted by duotiga83: