NICOSIA Ñ Iraq has named more than 500 nationals as scientists who
worked in weapons of mass destruction programs for the regime of President
Saddam Hussein.
The list contains Iraqis who have worked
on nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs. The regime has relayed the list of
scientists to the United Nations, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We have received from the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate a list
of names of personnel associated with Iraq's chemical, biological, nuclear
and ballistic missile programs," UN spokesman Hiro Ueki said.
Officials said the Iraqi list is a vital element of the UN demand to
speak to scientists in private regarding Baghdad's WMD programs. They said
this could include the prospect of bringing the scientists abroad for
questioning.
One Iraqi scientist, Sabah Abdul Nur, has refused to see UN inspectors
alone. Another Iraqi scientist, Kadhem Mijbil, denied relaying any
information to the inspectors, despite a UN assertion.
So far, UN inspectors have visited scores of suspected WMD sites without
finding biological or chemical weapons. The Security Council has asked for a
report from the inspectors by Jan. 27.
One site located at Al Qa'qa has been inspected eight times since Nov.
27. The facility is said to manufacture parts for conventional missiles and
WMD warheads.
Earlier, a team from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
Commission inspected the Mamoun plant, about 60 kilometers south of Baghdad.
UN officials said inspectors tagged several pieces of equipment, which Iraq
said it manufactured between 1998 and 2002.
Over the weekend, UN inspectors began setting up a regional office in
the northern city of Mosul. "This will help us expand and accelerate our
inspections throughout the country, but particularly in the north," Ueki
said.
