UNMOVIC requested one further private interview with an Iraqi individual on Sunday, 26 January. The individual concerned showed up with an Iraqi official at Al Hayat Hotel yesterday, but a private interview did not take place, as he insisted on having a witness with him. UNMOVIC requested another private interview yesterday. It did not take place today, either, as the individual concerned insisted on having a witness with him. To date, UNMOVIC has requested to interview in private 16 Iraqi individuals, but no private interviews have taken place so far. UNMOVIC will further seek private interviews, as allowed in Security Council resolution 1441.
As of today, we have a grand total of 251 persons working for UNMOVIC and the IAEA in Iraq. The total number of inspectors is 111, with 100 coming from UNMOVIC and 11 from the IAEA. The rest are support staff, including 50 aircrew and 31 local staff.
Today’s inspections:
An UNMOVIC multidisciplinary team returned to the Ukhaider Ammunition and Missile Storage area, where 12 chemical rocket warheads had been discovered on 16 January. The team took a sample from the 12th warhead for further analysis.
An UNMOVIC biological team inspected the Saddam Centre for Biotechnology Research located at Baghdad University. The Centre focuses its research effort on DNA and reproductive technologies. A second biological team inspected the 7 Nissan stores located about 10 km south of Baghdad. The site stores a range of agricultural equipment, including sprayers. A third biological team inspected the Grain Board of Iraq’s main depot at Taji, about 25 km north of Baghdad.
An UNMOVIC chemical team went to the Furat State Company, which is designed to principally manufacture rayon and chlorine products. The facility is located about 90 km south of Baghdad.
An UNMOVIC team of missile inspectors went to the Al Harith Missile Maintenance Workshop in Taji to re-tag SA-2 surface-to-air missiles, from which tags had been removed the week before for maintenance. The team also removed tags from other SA-2 missiles that will go through a maintenance cycle within the coming week. The SA-2 missiles are tagged to ensure that they are not converted into ballistic missiles capable of proscribed ranges.
Three IAEA teams conducted inspections. One team performed an inspection at the Nassr industrial machining and foundry facility north of Baghdad. A second team performed a motorized radiation survey in Baghdad. A third team inspected the College of Science, the College of Education and the College of Engineering at the University of Babylon.