In Focus :: IAEA and Iraq
News Update on IAEA & Iraq
Chronology of IAEA Inspections & Key Events
(March - April 2003)
27, Sunday: IAEA Director General Addresses Iraq, North Korea Inspections. In an interview with CNN 27 April 2003, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei called for the return of IAEA and UN inspectors to Iraq sooner rather than later "to bring that issue to closure." On North Korea, he said intrusive IAEA inspections are needed to clear up uncertainties about the country's nuclear programme.
Read Interview.
23, Wednesday: IAEA Chief States Views to Security Council On Iraq Inspections. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said in a statement delivered to the Security Council that the IAEA "should resume its work in Iraq as soon as possible". Separately, in an essay published in the Washington Post, Dr. ElBaradei said that the control of weapons of mass destruction must be through a strengthened collective, rule-based system of international security. The Council additionally was briefed by Dr. Hans Blix, head of UNMOVIC.
Read DG Statement | Essay | Blix Address.
22, Tuesday: IAEA Director General States Views on Iraq Inspections to Security Council. In a statement delivered on his behalf to an informal meeting of the UN Security Council, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said that the IAEA should resume its work in Iraq as soon as possible.
Read Press Release.
11, Friday: IAEA Sends Latest Periodic Inspection Report to Security Council. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei transmitted the 15th Consolidated Inspection Report on Iraq to the Security Council, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1051. The report provides a description of the work in relation to Iraq done by the IAEA between 1 October 2002 and 1 April 2003.
Read Consolidated Report | IAEA Work Programme.
11, Friday: IAEA Concerned About Security of Nuclear Material in Iraq. US authorities have assured the IAEA that stored nuclear material at Iraq's Al Tuwaitha site is properly protected and secured. The assurances came in response to a letter from IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei in which he underlined the need to ensure the security, safety, and protection against proliferation of all the nuclear material there, which has been under IAEA seal since 1991. The Al Tuwaitha research center has been a focal point of IAEA weapons inspections in Iraq under Security Council mandate.
Read Press Release| IAEA Work Programme.
11, Friday: Future IAEA, UN Inspections In Iraq Seen. UN Chief Kofi Annan said this week he "would expect" IAEA and UN inspectors to resume inspections in Iraq as soon as "the situation permits". "They are the ones with the mandate to disarm Iraq," he said, referring to the mandate from the Security Council, which he noted remains valid.
Read UN Story | IAEA Work Programme.
09, Wednesday: IAEA Director General on Inspections in Iraq. During a meeting this week with UN General Assembly President Jan Kavan, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei addressed the matter of inspections related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. "Subject to the guidance of the Security Council, the UN weapons inspectors should return to Iraq as soon as the conflict ends to resume their mandate," he said. "Any WMD findings should be verified by the UN weapons inspectors to generate the required credibility." The Iraq situation remains high on the agenda of the UN Security Council.
Read UN Story | Security Council Briefing | IAEA Work Programme.
19, Wednesday: IAEA Submits Work Programme to UN Security Council On
March 19, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 1284 the
IAEA submitted a work programme for the discharge of their mandates. The
work programme includes both the implementation of the reinforced system
of ongoing monitoring and verification, and the key remaining disarmament
tasks to be completed by Iraq.
Read Work Programme
18, Tuesday: IAEA Inspectors Return to Vienna After Evacuation from
Iraq The last of the IAEA nuclear inspectors evacuated from Iraq
arrived home in Vienna late Tuesday.
Read
news report
17, Monday: IAEA Director General Reports to the Board of Governors. In his statement to the IAEA Board of Governors today, IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei reported on the latest situation in Iraq. He said he had been advised by the U.S government to pull out IAEA inspectors from Baghdad and that similar advice has been given to UNMOVIC. He immediately informed the President of the UN Security Council to ask for guidance and also informed the UN Secretary General. Dr. ElBaradei said the safety of IAEA staff is the primary consideration at this difficult time. He expressed hope that a peaceful resolution of the issue can still be achieved, and that the world can be spared a war.
Read Full Text on Iraq | Full Statement.
17, Monday: More Sites Inspected, Private Interview with Scientist Conducted. Supervision of the destruction of Al Samoud 2 missiles and components continued. A private interview with a biological scientist was conducted. Sites inspected are the Tikrit Dairy Factory, Al Sina Centre, and the Air Defense Battery No.76 northwest of Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
16, Sunday: Helicopters Relocated from Baghdad. Five Bell-212 helicopters relocated from Baghdad to Damascus, Syria, today on their way to Larnaca, Cyprus. Three MI8-MTV helicopters, which belong to a Russian company, remain in Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
15, Saturday: IAEA Visits Engineering Companies, Conducts Survey. An IAEA team visited two large government-owned engineering companies: Daura SEHEE, south of Baghdad, whose main task is to manufacture vessels for the oil, gas and civil industries; and the Tho Al Fekar Plant, north of Baghdad, that manufactures components for small rockets. A second IAEA team performed a car-borne radiation survey 60km northwest of Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
14, Friday: IAEA Performs a Survey. The IAEA performed a motorized radiation survey in northeast Baghdad. The area surveyed included residential, industrial and military infrastructure.
Read Media Advisory.
13, Thursday: Supervision of Destruction of Al Samoud Missiles Continues. UNMOVIC continued to supervise the destruction of Al Samoud 2 missiles and components. A chemical team visited the State Company for Canned Foods, and a multidisciplinary team inspected a construction facility located west of Mosul.
Read Media Advisory.
12, Wednesday: IAEA Visits Sites Related to Use of Radioisotopes. An IAEA team visited the Saddam Centre for Cancer and Medical Genetics Research and the Saddam Neurosciences Centre in Baghdad. The visits were related to the use of radioisotopes.
Read Media Advisory.
10, Monday: IAEA Visits Tuwaitha, Checks Radioactive Waste. One IAEA team visited Al Tuwaitha, 25km south of Baghdad to review the status of radioactive waste remaining in a waste storage site. Another IAEA team performed a car-borne radiation survey of Al Tuwaitha.
Read Media Advisory.
9, Sunday: IAEA Inspects Electronic Equipment, Interviews Scientist. An IAEA team inspected the General Systems Company that produces electronic control equipment in central Baghdad. Another IAEA team performed a car and foot radiation survey that included surveying the insides of buildings in the Jurf al Naddaf complex, south of Baghdad. The area surveyed contained: warehouses engaged in seed and grain sorting and handling; a small plastic water pipe factory with adjacent family residence; a builder’s yard; empty warehouses; and a large modern plastic bag manufacturing building. Last evening, the IAEA conducted a completely private interview with an Iraqi scientist.
Read Media Advisory.
8, Saturday: IAEA Inspects Military Factory, Conducts Survey. An IAEA team inspected a military factory being built by the SAAD Company south of Baghdad. The team also visited high explosives-related sites in the same area. A second IAEA team inspected the Sahal Al Din Company that produces military electronic equipment in the Al-Dor District, 140km northwest of Baghdad. A third IAEA team performed a radiation survey 30km northwest of Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
7, Friday: Teams Conduct More Inspections, Take Samples. An UNMOVIC biological team inspected the maintenance department of the railway station in Mosul. The team then inspected the Mosul branch of the Mesopotamia State Company for Seed Handling in the outskirts of Mosul. Another biological team returned to the Al Aziziyah Airfield and Firing Range and continued to supervise the excavation of R-400 bombs. The team took samples from the remainders of the containers that, Iraq has stated, had been used to transport biological agents.
Read Media Advisory.
7, Friday: UN Security Council Held Briefing on Iraq. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and UN Chief Inspector Hans Blix briefed the Security Council 7 March on the latest status of Iraq inspections, highlighting the latest results of investigations on issues of concern. In his statement, Mr. ElBaradei concluded that Iraq's efforts to import aluminium tubes were not likely to have been related to the manufacture of centrifuges; that allegations that Iraq sought to buy uranium from Niger were unfounded; that after three months of intrusive inspections, the IAEA has to date found no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons programme in Iraq; and that the IAEA intends to continue inspection activities, and expressed his hope that Iraq would continue to expand the scope and accelerate the pace of its cooperation.
Read Full Statement.
6, Thursday: IAEA Inspects Sites in Baghdad. An IAEA team inspected the SAAD State Company in Baghdad and performed a detailed review of a new factory that SAAD is designing. Another IAEA team inspected a private trading company in the Mansour district of Baghdad. A third IAEA team performed a radiation survey in north Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
5, Wednesday: IAEA Checks Baghdad Sites. One IAEA team inspected a State-owned trading company, and another IAEA team inspected the computer centre of a State bank. Both sites are located in central Baghdad. A third IAEA team performed a car-borne radiation survey in an area southeast of Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
4, Tuesday: More Missiles Destroyed. An UNMOVIC missile team supervised the destruction of three more Al Samoud 2 missiles. One Al Samoud 2 launcher and five Al Samoud 2 engines were also destroyed. Another missile team supervised the final stage of the destruction of a second casting chamber. Now the two casting chambers are considered totally destroyed.
Read Media Advisory.
3, Monday: IAEA Teams Check Trading Companies. An IAEA team inspected a State-owned trading company in the Sadoon district of Baghdad. A second IAEA team inspected a private trading company in the Mansoor district. A third team performed a car-borne radiation survey north of Baghdad, near the town of Tarmya.
Read Media Advisory.
2, Sunday: Teams Supervise Destruction of Missiles, IAEA Surveys Area. An UNMOVIC missile team supervised the destruction of six Al Samoud 2 missiles at Al Taji. Another missile team supervised the destruction process of a second casting chamber at Al Mutasim. One IAEA team inspected a private trading company in central Baghdad. A second IAEA team performed a car-borne radiation survey north of Baghdad.
Read Media Advisory.
<< Previous